Psychological defense mechanisms

• Immature: unconsciously activated to protect the ego.
  • Acting out
  • Denial
  • Displacement
  • Intellectualisation
  • Passive aggression
  • Projection
    • Associated with paranoid personality disorder
  • Rationalization
  • Reaction formation
  • Regression: involuntarily reverting to an earlier developmental stage
    • Associated with dependent personality disorder
  • Splitting: believing things in black and white
    • Associated with borderline personality disorder


• Mature: reality is accepted even when it is not appreciated and needs to be consciously used.
  • Sublimation
  • Altruism
  • Suppression
  • Humour