According to Freud, which of the following defense mechanisms is characteristic of an immature childish person? A. Denial B. Identification C. Reaction Formation D. Projection
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A. Denial.
According to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies the ego employs to reduce anxiety arising from conflicts between the id, ego, and superego. Among the many defense mechanisms Freud and his followers described, denial is considered one of the most primitive and immature.
Denial involves a refusal to accept the reality of a situation that may be too distressing to face. Instead of acknowledging an uncomfortable truth, the individual mentally blocks it out or acts as if it does not exist. This psychological tactic can temporarily alleviate anxiety, but it often prevents personal growth and emotional maturity.
Freud regarded denial as typical in early stages of psychological development, particularly among children. For example, a child whose pet has died may insist that the animal is merely sleeping. The child’s cognitive and emotional development has not yet equipped them with the tools needed to process loss, so they revert to denying its occurrence altogether.
Adults may also use denial in situations involving trauma, addiction, or loss, though in those cases it typically reflects emotional regression or impaired coping mechanisms. Since denial avoids rather than resolves conflict, it is considered less adaptive than more mature defense mechanisms such as sublimation or intellectualization.
In contrast, the other options are generally regarded as more complex. Identification is the unconscious modeling of oneself upon another person. Reaction formation involves transforming an unacceptable impulse into its opposite. Projection attributes one’s own feelings or thoughts to others. While these mechanisms still distort reality, they represent more advanced psychological operations.
In summary, denial stands out as the defense mechanism most clearly associated with an immature or childish personality, because it reflects an inability or refusal to engage with unpleasant truths in a constructive way.
