Defense Mechanisms: A Comparative Analysis of Theories in Psychology

This essay delves into the concept of defense mechanisms within the field of psychology, exploring the perspectives of Sigmund Freud and other theorists. It examines the historical context of these theories, particularly focusing on the psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral approaches. The essay analyzes how defense mechanisms, such as denial, are employed to cope with stress and conflict, often operating at an unconscious level. Furthermore, it contrasts the psychodynamic view, which emphasizes the influence of past experiences on decision-making, with the cognitive behavioral perspective, which highlights the role of cognitive skills in human behavior. The essay also acknowledges the impact of cultural context on psychological development, suggesting that cultural factors significantly shape the manifestation and interpretation of defense mechanisms. Through this comparative analysis, the essay provides a comprehensive understanding of how defense mechanisms are perceived and applied within different psychological frameworks, providing valuable insights into the complexities of human behavior.

Running Head: PEER RESPONSE
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Author’s Note

1PEER RESPONSE
Psychology has been a wide field of study from the time humans started to exists.
Historically, several psychologists have come up with a variety of theories to justify human
behavior such as Plato, Socrates and Hippocrates. However, in the early 20th century a
psychologist named Sigmund Freud became the father of psychoanalysis as he kept coming with
theories to resonate an individual’s response and the behavioral characteristics according to age
group. It went through a number of criticisms and praises according to the culture and
background of people during the specific time. One of the theories of defense mechanism was
designed by Sigmund Freud, which went through complications when he wanted to express that
defense mechanism is unconscious (Berzoff, Melano Flanagan & Hertz, 2011). After trials and
errors, Freud came up with the theory that defense mechanism is related to the unconscious mind
that has characteristics of a reptile, which turns into fight or flight mode when it senses danger or
avoids feeling unpleasant. According to Vaillant (1992), Freud wrote about Hallucinations as
well as he suggested that denial is the most common form of defense mechanism as it is useful
and efficient for avoiding conflicts and stress. It opens another aspect that is the idea of
repression related to the concept of fight-flight-freeze mode? This brings the argument that the
theory of psychodynamic and cognitive behavior agrees with this historical perspective of
defense mechanism or not? As the cognition of the mind and the theory of psychodynamic
differs, it becomes a conflict to segregate the theory of defense mechanism. Cognitive behavioral
theory implies that humans use the information to comprehend and make decisions according to
their cognitive skills but psychodynamic theory says that the skill of decision making in humans
is influenced by their past experiences and events. These definitions can vary from culture to
culture, which makes a point that cultural context is a major trigger for psychological
development.

2PEER RESPONSE
References
Berzoff, J., Melano Flanagan, L., & Hertz, P. (2011). Inside out and outside in : psychodynamic
clinical theory and psychopathology in contemporary multicultural contexts (3rd ed.).
Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Vaillant, G. (1992). Ego mechanisms of defense (1st ed.). Washington, DC: American
Psychiatric Press.