What is considered one of the most archaic defense mechanisms?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks: What is considered one of the most archaic defense mechanisms?

First, note that the provided data does not include the list of answer options. This means I cannot evaluate each option against the others, so I will focus on the given correct answer and explain why it is commonly regarded as an archaic defense mechanism.

Denial as a defense mechanism involves refusing to acknowledge or accept reality or facts, thereby protecting the individual from anxiety or distress associated with recognizing uncomfortable truths. It is often described in Freudian psychoanalytic theory as one of the oldest or most primitive strategies for coping with threat, because it operates at a relatively basic level of psychological processing and bypasses more mature integrative processes.

Why denial is considered archaic:
- It pre-dates more sophisticated coping mechanisms; it is emotionally thick but cognitively simplistic, relying on non-recognition rather than active processing of feelings.
- It tends to distort or block awareness of distressing information rather than exploring or integrating it, which is a hallmark of earlier, less adaptive defenses.
- In clinical lore, denial is frequently one of the first defenses observed in infancy and early development, and it remains prevalent across many disorders, sometimes persisting longer than other defenses.

Why other hypothetical options (if present) might be less archaic:
- More evolved defenses, such as intellectualization or sublimation, involve higher-order processing and greater psychological integration, suggesting they are more advanced adaptations rather than archaic ones.
- Reaction formation, projection, or displacement are common but typically considered as more specialized mechanisms that develop after the basic function of denial has already emerged.
- Finally, avoidance-based strategies that maintain emotional distance can be adaptive in the short term but do not necessarily reflect the most primitive level of defense.

If you can provide the missing list of answer options, I can compare Denial to each specific alternative and explain exactly why Denial is deemed the archaic choice relative to those options.

PSYCH 100, Section 002: Intro Psychology (22511--HB---P-PSYCH---100-------002-) Quiz 4

What is considered one of the most archaic defense mechanisms?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

A teenager who feels attracted to a classmate behaves in an overly hostile and dismissive way toward them. Which defense mechanism is at play?

Jose is unconsciously angry at his roommate, so he goes out of his way to be kind and helpful. What kind of defense mechanism would Freud suggest Jose is using?

The unconscious act of keeping or threatening thoughts, feelings, or impulses out of consciousness is called

A classmate gets a low grade on this exam. When you discuss the exam results with this person, they blame their performance on the difficulty of the material and their belief that the material is irrelevant. This student appears to be using which defence mechanism to explain their poor behaviour?

How does projection differ from reaction formation?

In the psychoanalytic theory, the ego preserves or protects itself from feelings of anxiety by using defense mechanism.

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler