MS.SNEHAL PATIL.

2ND YR P.B.B.Sc.

DEFINITION :

The individual has devices for protecting himself against psychological dangers & distress. These protective devices are known as ego defences or defence mechanism or mental mechanism or dynamism.

COMPENSATION: An attempt to make up for deficiency by directing his

energies to another aspect of one’s personality in which no deficiency exists.

DISPLACEMENT:

An emotional feeling is transferred to person or object who are less dangerous than those who initially aroused the emotion.

DENIAL: The individual does not accept the existence of

something that is disturbing.

FIXATION:

It refers to a point of individual’s development at which certain aspects of the emotional development is not advance.

SUBSTITUTION: Adjustive mechanism in which original goals or desires

are substituted by others.

CONVERSION: Strong emotional conflicts are expressed or as

converted into physical symptoms.

IDENTIFICATION: Adjustment mechanism which enables one to achieve

satisfaction from the successes of other people , groups or organization.

INTROJECTION:The values & characteristics of

significant persons are incorporated in one’s personality.

E.g. A woman who likes to live in a simple way introjects in her the sophisticated way, of living like her husband.

REACTION FORMATION: The unacceptable real feelings are repressed &

acceptable opposite feelings are expressed.

TRANSFERENCE :Image of one person is unconsciously

identified with that of another.

e.g. A patient who is fond of his daughter finds the nurse of the same age & height as his daughter. So he transfers his positive emotions to his nurse as his daughter.

SUPPRESSION: Voluntary postponement of focusing of attention on

an impulse which has reached conscious awareness.

SUBLIMATION: Unacceptable desires or activities are redirected into

socially desirable channels.

REPRESSION:Strong emotional ideas or unpleasant

memories which do not fit in with our social values & norms , are split off from consciousness & thrown into the unconscious.

e.g. a man is jealous of his success but is unaware of his feelings of jealousy.

REGRESSION:It is a mechanism of going from the

present pattern to the past level of behaviour. The individual returns to pattern of behaviour that were successful in earlier stages of development.

e.g. Tears & temper tantrums in adult.

RATIONALIZATION:Providing logical explanations for

irrational behaviour motivated by unacceptable unconscious wishes.

PROJECTION: Popular method of resolving conflict. One’s own

unacceptable feelings & thoughts are expressed as if they are due to others.

INCORPORATION: A lost or something prohibited source of identification

is introduced into the ego structure with out transformation of ego.

e.g. A young married woman who has referred for treatment by her husband because of her recent crying spells & inability to care for her home & infant. The patient stated that she was afraid as she was like her mother & she disliked her self for these traits of her mother which she has incorporated with her.

APPLICATION IN NURSING