Which term describes the unconscious process that protects the individual from threatening and anxiety-producing feelings, thoughts, and impulses (examples include displacement, denial, repression, and rationalization)?

Which term describes the unconscious process that protects the individual from threatening and anxiety-producing feelings, thoughts, and impulses (examples include displacement, denial, repression, and rationalization)?

• A. Ego psychology
• B. Electra complex
• C. Ego-defense mechanism
• D. Free association

Answer: (C)

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies the ego uses to shield a person from anxiety and threatening thoughts or impulses. They operate automatically to keep uncomfortable feelings out of awareness, often by distorting reality or rationalizing behavior. The examples given—displacement, denial, repression, and rationalization—are classic defenses, illustrating how the psyche preserves emotional equilibrium when faced with threat. That’s why the best term here is ego-defense mechanisms: it specifically refers to these unconscious protective processes. Ego psychology is a broader theory about how the ego develops and functions, not a specific defensive process. The Electra complex is a developmental/psychosexual concept, not a mechanism for managing anxiety. Free association is a technique used to uncover unconscious material, not a defense mechanism itself.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies the ego uses to shield a person from anxiety and threatening thoughts or impulses. They operate automatically to keep uncomfortable feelings out of awareness, often by distorting reality or rationalizing behavior. The examples given—displacement, denial, repression, and rationalization—are classic defenses, illustrating how the psyche preserves emotional equilibrium when faced with threat. That’s why the best term here is ego-defense mechanisms: it specifically refers to these unconscious protective processes.

Ego psychology is a broader theory about how the ego develops and functions, not a specific defensive process. The Electra complex is a developmental/psychosexual concept, not a mechanism for managing anxiety. Free association is a technique used to uncover unconscious material, not a defense mechanism itself.