A patient who asked for and was refused a pass to leave the unit left the nurse's station and went to his room,where he slammed his closet door several times while looking for a sweater.A nurse came into the room and remarked,"You seem pretty angry." The patient replied that he was not the least bit angry.What defense mechanism is the patient demonstrating?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Denial involves an unconscious process of escaping an unpleasant reality by ignoring its existence;in this case the patient ignores his true feelings.Splitting involves avoiding the anxiety-provoking task of reconciling conflicting feelings or aspects of another person by seeing that person as either "all good" or "all bad";in this case,the patient would have been splitting had he characterized the nurse in a completely negative way.Rationalization involves justifying illogical or unreasonable ideas,actions,or feelings by developing acceptable explanations that satisfy the listener and the self.Compensation requires unconsciously making up for perceived deficits by excelling in another area to maintain self-esteem.

A Patient Who Asked for and Was Refused a Pass