Define and provide examples of the common defense mechanisms people use to alleviate anxiety and eliminate conflict

Answer 1

Briefly defined and illustrated, the defense mechanisms are as follows:
• Denial means refusing to accept reality. An example is refusing to accept as true the news that a loved one is seriously ill.
• Displacement means redirecting feelings from their true target to a safer substitute. One example is lashing out at your spouse instead of your boss.
• Rationalization means substituting acceptable reasons for the real motivations of your behavior. One example is turning in a classmate you don't like for cheating but insisting that you're doing this because cheating is unfair to other students
• Reaction formation means adopting attitudes and behaviors that are the opposite of what you feel. One example is lavishing praise on an acquaintance whom you actually loathe.
• Repression means keeping threatening impulses, fantasies, memories, feelings, or wishes from becoming conscious. One example is not "hearing" the alarm after a late night of partying.