During a grade school field trip, Ryan and his friends were running down a hill when he stepped on a snake. He was unharmed but shaken by the experience. When one of his friends mentioned the incident months later, Ryan could not remember running down the hill that day. Sigmund Freud would say that this is an example of:

Question

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This is an example of repression, which is the defense mechanism in which an individual unconsciously blocks out traumatic or disturbing experiences or emotions from their memory. Ryan's inability to remember running down the hill and stepping on a snake is an example of repressed memory.

During a Grade School Field Trip, Ryan and His Friends