Question 1

A habitual drinker who says she drinks with her friends "just to be sociable" best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Rationalization is a defense mechanism where a person provides a reasonable explanation or justification for a behavior that may be unacceptable or threatening to them. In this case, the habitual drinker may be using the excuse of being sociable to rationalize her drinking behavior.

Question 2

Although Eduardo has repressed his own homosexual desires, he is distressed by a false suspicion that many men frequently stare lustfully at his body. According to psychoanalytic theory, Eduardo's thinking best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Eduardo's belief that other men are staring at his body is a projection of his own repressed homosexual desires onto other men. Projection is a defense mechanism in which people unconsciously attribute their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person or group.

Question 3

Projection refers to the process by which people

Accepted Answer

Projection involves attributing one's own unconscious impulses or qualities to someone else. It is a defense mechanism used to avoid facing one's own unacceptable thoughts or behaviors.

Question 4

Freud referred to the remembered story line of a dream as its

Accepted Answer

Freud referred to the remembered story line of a dream as its manifest content. The manifest content of a dream is the surface level of the dream, or what the dreamer remembers upon waking up.

Question 5

Although Camile has detailed memories of her early school years, she remembers very little about the boyfriend who abruptly broke off their marriage engagement. According to psychoanalytic theory, it appears that Camile is using the defense mechanism of

Accepted Answer

Repression is a defense mechanism where distressing thoughts, memories, or feelings are pushed out of the conscious mind and stored in the unconscious. Camile's lack of memory about her past relationship suggests that she may have repressed those memories as a way of avoiding the pain and discomfort associated with them.

Question 6

Julie reported that she had a dream in which she was chased by a large dog. According to Freud, Julie's account represents the ________ content of her dream.

Accepted Answer

The manifest content of a dream is the literal content of the dream, in other words, what the dreamer remembers experiencing. Julie's account of being chased by a large dog represents the manifest content of her dream. The latent content, on the other hand, is the underlying meaning of the dream, which requires interpretation to uncover. Repressed content refers to memories or desires that have been pushed into the unconscious mind because they are too painful to deal with consciously. Empirically derived content is based on research evidence, and is not applicable in this situation.

Question 7

According to Freud, the defense mechanism that underlies all others is

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, repression is the primary defense mechanism as it acts to keep unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or memories out of conscious awareness. Other defense mechanisms arise from repression, such as projection, displacement, and reaction formation.

Question 8

Who emphasized that slips of the tongue often reveal the personality dynamics that contribute to psychological disorders?

Accepted Answer

Freud emphasized that slips of the tongue often reveal the personality dynamics that contribute to psychological disorders.

Question 9

A religious leader who attempts to overcome his hidden doubts with intense expressions of spiritual certainty illustrates most clearly the defense mechanism of

Accepted Answer

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which an individual suppresses their true thoughts, feelings, or impulses and instead expresses or behaves in a manner that is opposite of what they truly believe or desire. In this case, the religious leader is attempting to suppress their hidden doubts by expressing intense expressions of spiritual certainty, which is opposite of their true doubts.

Question 10

Using the defense mechanism of projection, a person experiences an internal

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using the defense mechanism of projection, a...

Question 11

Freud believed that our repressed impulses express themselves in

Accepted Answer

Freud believed that our repressed impulses could express themselves in various forms, including dreams, slips of the tongue, and jokes. Therefore, option D, which includes all of these forms, is the correct answer.

Question 12

Which defense mechanism involves expressing feelings that are the exact opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings?

Accepted Answer

Reaction formation involves expressing feelings that are the exact opposite of someone's anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings. For example, a person who has repressed feelings of anger may engage in excessive acts of kindness and generosity as a defense mechanism.

Question 13

As her parents became increasingly more abusive toward her, Amity began, with apparent sincerity, to emphatically express her great admiration for her parents. Amity's behavior illustrates most clearly the defense mechanism of

Accepted Answer

Amity's behavior of expressing admiration for her abusive parents is an example of reaction formation, which is a defense mechanism where a person unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses or emotions into their opposite. In this case, Amity may feel anger, fear, or resentment towards her parents, but instead, she expresses the opposite emotion of admiration as a way to cope with her feelings and protect herself from the pain of the abuse.

Question 14

Coping with anxiety by retreating to behavior patterns characteristic of a more infantile stage of development is called

Accepted Answer

The coping mechanism described in the question is regression, which involves reverting to behaviors typical of an earlier stage of development to manage anxiety or stress. Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else. Reaction formation involves expressing the opposite of one's true feelings. Displacement involves redirecting one's negative emotions onto a less threatening target.

Question 15

Displacement refers to the process by which people

Accepted Answer

Displacement is a defense mechanism where one redirects their aggressive or sexual impulses towards less threatening targets, such as taking out frustrations on a punching bag instead of a person or yelling at a coworker instead of confronting someone closer to them like a spouse.

Question 16

Denial is a defense mechanism that involves

Accepted Answer

Denial is the defense mechanism where an individual refuses to believe or perceive painful realities.

Question 17

Freud believed that the latent content of dreams was

Accepted Answer

Freud believed that the latent content of dreams was repressed, meaning it was made up of unconscious thoughts, desires, or impulses that were unacceptable to the conscious mind. These repressed thoughts were disguised or distorted in the manifest content of the dream.

Question 18

For several months after he lost the job he had held for nearly 20 years, Mr. Ullomi frequently lost his temper and suffered periodic crying spells. His behavior is most clearly an example of

Accepted Answer

Mr. Ullomi's behavior of losing his temper and having crying spells is an example of regression, which is the return to an earlier, less mature stage of development as a way of coping with stress or anxiety. Losing his job after nearly 20 years likely caused significant stress and triggered this response from him. The other options (A, B, D) do not fit the scenario described.

Question 19

Shortly after receiving a traffic ticket for speeding, Fred made numerous hostile comments to his wife about the incompetence of women drivers. Fred's comments illustrate most clearly the defense mechanism of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Shortly after receiving a traffic ticket for...

Question 20

Unconsciously motivated by miserliness, Mr. Rioja refused his son's request for money to buy the books he needs for school. In defending his actions, Mr. Rioja explained that "parental financial aid prevents teenagers from developing into mature, independent adults." Mr. Rioja's explanation is an example of

Accepted Answer

Mr. Rioja's justification for not giving his son money is an example of rationalization, where he is unconsciously motivated by miserliness but provides a seemingly reasonable excuse for his actions.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology