Novice Counselor's blog

In Freudian theory, defense mechanisms are used by people to ward off anxiety. Defense mechanisms are ways to distort reality and exclude feelings from consciousness so that we do not feel anxious; they are strategic efforts by the ego to cope with socially unacceptable impulses of the id (Pervin, Cervone, & John, 2005).

Freud

An example of a simple or “immature” defense mechanism is projection. People defend against the recognition of their own negative qualities by ascribing them to others. For example, rather than recognizing hostility in the self, an individual sees others as being hostile (Pervin, Cervone, & John, 2005). In other words, an individual displaces unto others what is actually a part of the self.

An example of a complex or “mature” defense mechanism is sublimation, in which the original object of gratification is replaced by a higher cultural goal that is far removed from a direct expression of the instinct. The original instinct is channeled into a useful endeavor (Pervin, Cervone, & John, 2005). For example, someone might channel their aggression into creating a work of art.

According to Cramer, (2000), there is general agreement that mature defenses such as humor, altruism, and sublimation are associated with adaptive functioning. Because defenses differ in their relative maturity and in their developmental appropriateness, age is a primary consideration when assessing the adaptive success of a defense. Relying on the immature defense of denial is normative for a five-year-old but is developmentally out of phase in a young adult. When children and adolescents use age-characteristic defenses, they protect themselves from undue psychological stress. When individuals use age-inappropriate defenses, there is often evidence of maladaptive functioning.

References:

Cramer, P., (2000); Defense Mechanisms in Psychology Today – Further Processes for Adaptation; American Psychologist; Vol. 55, No. 6, 637-646.

Pervin, L. A., Cervone, D., & John, O. P. (2005). HS5214: Theories of personality [Custom]. New York: Wiley.