Defense mechanisms are defined as what?

• A. The ego's protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality
• B. Conscious strategies to control behavior through rewards
• C. Biological responses to stress
• D. Learned responses to parenting style

Answer: (A)

Defense mechanisms are unconscious protective processes of the ego that reduce anxiety by distorting or denying reality. They operate automatically to cushion the individual from emotional conflict and preserve self-esteem. This is why they are not conscious strategies for behavior control, not biological stress responses, and not learned reactions to parenting—those would involve deliberate planning, physiological processes, or external learning. Common examples include denial, repression, projection, rationalization, and displacement, which show how the mind unconsciously adjusts perception to ease distress.