Question

A student who obtained low grade in a drawing competition blamed the judges to be biased. Which defense mechanism did he make?

• A. Displacement
• B. Rationalization
• C. Projection
• D. Regression

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Projection

In psychology, a defense mechanism is an unconscious psychological process that helps people cope with stress, anxiety, or difficult feelings. Defense mechanisms can be helpful, but they can also be harmful if they are used excessively or to avoid difficult emotions. 

Here are some examples of defense mechanisms: 

• Denial: Not acknowledging the reality of a stressful situation 

• Distortion: Believing something to be true when it is not 

• Projection: Blaming someone else for having thoughts or feelings that you yourself are having 

• Sublimation: Displacing unacceptable emotions into constructive and socially acceptable behaviors 

Defense mechanisms can be categorized as mature, neurotic, or immature. Some mature defense mechanisms include sublimation, humor, anticipation, and suppression. Some neurotic defense mechanisms include undoing, pseudo-altruism, idealization, and reaction formation. 

Sigmund Freud first used the term "defense mechanism" in his 1894 paper, The Neuro-Psychoses of Defence.