Anxiety provoking behaviours are totally dismissed by the unconscious, in which defense mechanism?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Repression
Option (1) Repression — Correct. Repression is the most important defence mechanism, in which anxiety-provoking behaviours or thoughts are totally dismissed by the unconscious. The person becomes totally unaware of the repressed wish or desire, so she or he may say, ‘I do not know why I did that’.
Option (2) Regression — Incorrect. Regression takes a person back to an earlier stage of development: when problems at a stage are not resolved well, the person shows behaviours typical of a less mature stage. Nothing is pushed out of awareness.
Option (3) Projection — Incorrect. In projection people attribute their own traits to others; a person with strong aggressive tendencies sees others as aggressive towards her/him.
Option (4) Reaction formation — Incorrect. In reaction formation a person defends against anxiety by adopting behaviours opposite to her/his true feelings, as when strong sexual urges are channelled into religious fervour.
NCERT (2025-26): “Ego Defence Mechanisms … Freud has described many different kinds of defence mechanisms. The most important is repression, in which anxiety-provoking behaviours or thoughts are totally dismissed by the unconscious. When people repress a feeling or desire, they become totally unaware of that wish or desire. Thus, when a person says, ‘I do not know why I did that’, some repressed feeling or desire is expressing itself. Other major defence mechanisms are projection, denial, reaction formation and rationalisation. In projection, people attribute their own traits to others. Thus, a person who has strong aggressive tendencies may see other people as acting in an excessively aggressive way towards her/him. In denial, a person totally refuses to accept reality. Thus, someone suffering from HIV/AIDS may altogether deny her/ his illness. In reaction formation, a person defends against anxiety by adopting behaviours opposite to her/his true feelings. A person with strong sexual urges, who channels her/his energy into religious fervour, presents a classical example of reaction formation.…” “Stages of Personality Development … Regression is also a likely outcome in such situations. It takes a person back to an earlier stage. Regression occurs when a person’s resolution of problems at any stage of development is less than adequate. In this situation, people display behaviours typical of a less mature stage of development.…” |