Question 1

In World War II, many prisoners in concentration camps came to imitate the behaviors and mannerisms of the brutal guards who were their captors. The behavior of these prisoners is probably due to ________.

Accepted Answer

The behavior of the prisoners imitating their brutal captors is due to identification, which refers to the process by which individuals adopt the attitudes or behavior patterns of their captors or role models in order to cope with a difficult situation. This behavior can often be seen in cases of Stockholm Syndrome and other forms of psychological captivity. Sublimation refers to the process of redirecting unacceptable impulses into more socially acceptable behavior, projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or traits to another, and reaction formation involves expressing the opposite of one's true feelings. None of these processes are likely to explain the behavior of the concentration camp prisoners.

Question 2

A parent with unfulfilled ambitions shares emotionally in her child's success. When the child is promoted, the parent feels as if she, herself, has triumphed. Her behavior exemplifies the defense mechanism of ________.

Accepted Answer

Identification is the defense mechanism where a person unconsciously takes on the qualities or characteristics of another person, typically someone they admire or want to emulate. In this case, the parent is identifying with their successful child and taking on their accomplishments as their own.

Question 3

Analyzing our problems by detaching ourselves from them and talking about them as if they concerned not us, but other people, is called ________.

Accepted Answer

The term mentioned in the question refers to the defense mechanism of intellectualization, which involves analyzing problems in a detached, rational manner to alleviate anxiety or emotional distress. Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or impulses to someone else, sublimation involves channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable behavior, and regression involves reverting to childlike behavior in response to stress.

Question 4

Many sports fans are proud to wear their team "colors" and copies of the team uniform. Freud would see this as a form of ________.

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, identification is the process by which individuals take on aspects of the personality of others, particularly those they admire or aspire to be like. In this case, sports fans identify with their favorite team by wearing their colors and jerseys, expressing their attachment and admiration for the team.

Question 5

A form of defensive forgetting is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Repression is a form of defensive forgetting in which unwanted or anxiety-provoking memories are kept out of conscious awareness.

Question 6

A corporate executive who feels guilty about the way she ascended to power accuses her colleagues of ruthless ambition. Her behavior typifies ________.

Accepted Answer

The executive is projecting her own feelings and behaviors onto her colleagues, accusing them of something she may feel guilty of herself.

Question 7

Soldiers who break down in the battlefield often cope with their situation by blocking out all memories of their behavior and their situation. This is a type of ________.

Accepted Answer

Repression is a defense mechanism that involves unconsciously blocking out a distressing memory or thought. Soldiers who have traumatic experiences on the battlefield may cope with their situation by using repression to avoid thinking about or remembering their behavior and situation. Withdrawal, aggression, and intellectualization are other defense mechanisms that soldiers may use, but they are not specifically associated with blocking out memories in the same way that repression is.

Question 8

"Crying like a baby" to manipulate someone into giving you what you want is a form of ________.

Accepted Answer

Regression is a defense mechanism where an individual exhibits behavior that is characteristic of an earlier stage of development, often in response to stress or anxiety. Crying like a baby, which is a behavior associated with infancy, is an example of regression as a means of manipulation.

Question 9

When we attribute feelings we do not want to have to someone else we may be ________.

Accepted Answer

Projecting is when we attribute our own feelings, thoughts, or behaviors onto someone else. This allows us to avoid dealing with our own uncomfortable or unwanted emotions.

Question 10

The most common mechanism for blocking painful feelings and memories is ________.

Accepted Answer

Repression is the most common mechanism for blocking painful feelings and memories. This defense mechanism involves burying or pushing down thoughts or memories that are too painful or difficult to deal with, often into the unconscious mind.

Question 11

A student who is failing but does not study because she refuses to believe that the instructor will really give her an "F" at the end of the term is using the defense mechanism of ________.

Accepted Answer

Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person refuses to accept or acknowledge what is true, such as the fact that they are failing a class. The student's refusal to study could be a way of denying the reality of their situation and avoiding the anxiety, stress, or disappointment that may come with acknowledging their failure.

Question 12

The most basic defense mechanisms are ________.

Accepted Answer

Denial and repression are considered the most basic defense mechanisms because they involve a person denying or avoiding an uncomfortable truth or thought. Denial is the refusal to acknowledge or accept a certain reality, while repression is the unconscious forgetting or hiding of traumatic or unpleasant memories. Projection and rationalization are more complex defense mechanisms that involve attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or behaviors to someone else or justifying them with arguably rational explanations.

Question 13

A supposedly mature adult reverting to childlike behavior is typical of ________.

Accepted Answer

Regression is a defense mechanism in which an individual reverts back to an earlier stage of development, typically during times of stress or anxiety. Reverting to childlike behavior is a common form of regression. Repression involves pushing unwanted thoughts or feelings into the unconscious mind. Reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which a person expresses the opposite of their true feelings. Sublimation refers to channeling unwanted impulses into more socially acceptable behaviors.

Question 14

The reverse of projection, ________ is often used as a defense mechanism when people feel trapped and utterly helpless.

Accepted Answer

Identification is a defense mechanism in which people adopt the characteristics of someone they admire or want to be like. This can be a way of coping with feelings of inadequacy or helplessness.

Question 15

The "Stockholm Syndrome" is an example of the defense mechanism of ________.

Accepted Answer

The Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological response where a victim forms a bond with their captor as a means of psychological survival. This is an example of the defense mechanism of identification, where the victim identifies with their captor in order to cope with the stressful situation.

Question 16

The salesman who throws a "temper tantrum" when his car is not repaired on schedule is probably ________.

Accepted Answer

Regressing. The salesman is exhibiting childlike behavior by throwing a temper tantrum, which is a regressive behavior indicating a return to an earlier, less mature personality state.

Question 17

We take on the characteristics of someone else in order to share in that person's triumphs through the technique of ________.

Accepted Answer

Identification is the psychological process whereby an individual takes on the qualities or characteristics of another person or group. This can be done consciously or unconsciously, and it is often done in an effort to share in the triumphs or accomplishments of that person or group. Projection involves attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person, sublimation involves channeling one's impulses or desires into more socially acceptable activities, and reaction formation involves overcompensating for one's unacceptable impulses or desires by adopting the opposite stance.

Question 18

The reverse of projection is ________.

Accepted Answer

The reverse of projection is identification, where a person takes in the characteristics of another person or group as their own instead of projecting their own traits onto others. Intellectualization, sublimation, and reaction formation are defense mechanisms unrelated to projection or identification.

Question 19

The reverse of identification is ________.

Accepted Answer

The reverse of identification is projection, which involves attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors onto another person or object. This is the opposite of identification, where one takes on the characteristics of someone else or something else.

Question 20

In a hostage situation, to survive, victims sometimes seek to please their captors, and may identify with them as a way of coping with unbearable and unstoppable stress. This phenomenon is known as the ________.

Accepted Answer

Stockholm syndrome is a phenomenon where hostages start to develop positive feelings towards their captors, and even identify with them as a way of coping with the extremely stressful and traumatic situation. The name "Stockholm syndrome" was coined after a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1973, where the hostages developed a protective and positive attitude towards their captors. This phenomenon has been observed in many other hostage situations, and is believed to occur when victims feel helpless and threatened, and come to believe that their survival depends on pleasing their captors. The other options are not related to the phenomenon of hostages identifying with their captors.

Quiz 11: Stress and Health Psychology