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Difficulty: MediumCoping Mechanisms

The nurse is evaluating the coping mechanisms of several clients. Match each clinical scenario or behavioral observation with the correct defense mechanism it best illustrates.

  • Despite harboring intense anger toward an abusive parent, an adult child insists on visiting them daily, telling the nurse, "I just love taking care of my family more than anything."Reaction Formation
  • To manage a history of impulsive aggression, an individual starts attending a competitive boxing gym to channel their energy safely.Sublimation
  • After being terminated from a long-term position, a client states, "I didn't want that job anyway; it required too much overtime and took me away from my hobbies."Rationalization
  • Struggling with profound feelings of inadequacy, a partner constantly accuses their spouse of being uneducated and incompetent.Projection
  • Upon receiving a poor prognosis from the oncologist, a patient yells at the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) for bringing the wrong type of juice.Displacement

Answer

The scenarios demonstrate the following mechanisms: visiting the abusive parent is Reaction Formation; boxing to channel aggression is Sublimation; making excuses for being fired is Rationalization; accusing the spouse of incompetence is Projection; and yelling at the UAP over a poor prognosis is Displacement.
Each clinical scenario clearly aligns with a specific defense mechanism. Reaction formation involves acting the opposite of true feelings. Sublimation turns unacceptable impulses into acceptable ones. Rationalization uses logical-sounding excuses to explain away failures. Projection blames others for one's own internal insecurities. Displacement shifts anger to a safer, less threatening target.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the scenario regarding the client with the abusive parent.
The client replaces the unacceptable feeling of anger with its direct opposite, extreme devotion.
Identifying the transformation of a threatening emotion into its opposite behavior points directly to reaction formation.
2
Analyze the scenario of the client joining a competitive boxing gym.
The client safely channels violent, impulsive tendencies into a structured, acceptable sport.
Converting an unacceptable impulse into a socially constructive activity is the definition of sublimation.
3
Analyze the scenario of the client who was terminated from their position.
The client attempts to make the negative outcome seem acceptable by providing logical excuses.
Creating false but plausible excuses to protect self-esteem without acknowledging the true reason is rationalization.
4
Analyze the scenario of the insecure client accusing their partner.
The client places their own feelings of inadequacy onto their spouse.
Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or insecurities onto someone else is projection.
5
Analyze the scenario of the client yelling at the UAP.
The client redirects anger from the oncologist and the diagnosis onto a safer, uninvolved target.
Redirecting emotions from the original anxiety-provoking source to a less threatening substitute is displacement.

Key Concept

Defense Mechanisms
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Topics

Coping Mechanisms

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