The bully rationalizes what they have done by saying that their victim deserved it. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Feb 17, 2017 rationalization putting something into a different light or offering a different explanation. The meaning of rationalization in psychology explained with examples. In psychology and logic, rationalization or rationalisation also known as making excuses is a defense mechanism in which controversial behaviors or feelings are justified and explained in a seemingly rational or logical manner to avoid the true explanation, and are made consciously tolerableor even admirable and superiorby plausible means. Rationalization is actually a defense mechanism that allows you to justify bad behavior or feelings. Throughout this week, we will discuss five major defense mechanisms, including. Normal defense mechanisms of particular importance in the maintenance of addictive disease include denial, paranoid projection, avoidance, isolation of affect, rationalization and intellectualization. A person is using rationalization when, after not getting a job he applied for, he thinks, ill be better off at a different. The more primitive a defense mechanism, the less effective it works for a person over the longterm. Defense mechanisms among our students infiressources. Intellectualization defense mechanism springerlink. Approaching psychological defense mechanisms from the perspective of an evolved strategy, it is proposed that there are two basic templatesdissociation and cognitive distortions.
Rationalization is a reorganization of a company in order to increase its efficiency. Rationalization is an ego defense mechanism that people use to make excuses for situations or events in their lives that they do not like. When you rationalize something, you try to explain it away. Request pdf on jan 1, 2016, megan knoll and others published rationalization defense mechanism find, read and cite all the research. Intellectualization is a defense mechanism where thinking is utilized to impede conflict with an insentient confrontation and its linked emotional anxiety. Rationalization intellectualization as a psychodynamic defense mechanism refers to an emphasized focus on facts, logic, and abstract reasoning to.
The weberian theory of rationalization and the mcdonaldization of contemporary society george ritzer george ritzeris distinguished professor of sociology at the university of maryland. Study terms defense mechanisms flashcards quizlet. The essential guide to defense mechanisms psychology today. They are psychological strategies brought into play by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny or. Now the traditional thinking on rationalization of course is that it is an unconscious defense mechanism. Age, stage of disease, and hlastatus did not correlate with the scores for defense mechanisms, levels of defense or total scores. Defense mechanisms change our sense of reality while we deal with the rest of our lives, for example, blocking painful emotions while we deal with funeral arrangements for a loved one.
Jan 04, 2020 rationalization is a reorganization of a company in order to increase its efficiency. Rationalization is one of the most common defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms were first described in 1874 by sigmund freud, the. Defense mechanisms are one way of looking at how people distance themselves from a full awareness of unpleasant thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
But if someone really is feeling pangs of guilt, the uneasiness they feel about their behavior. To make sure that no other variable is responsible for these differences, we correlated several demographic variables with the defense mechanism scores. The theory behind this is that a person unknowingly tries to alleviate pangs of guilt by finding some way to grant legitimacy to their behavior. Intellectualizing is often achieved through rationalization, instead of accommodating reality, one may clarify it away to detach ones self.
Common defense mechanisms in drug and alcohol addiction. Defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious level and help ward off unpleasant feelings i. When we experience something that brings us discomfort and is a struggle to tolerate, looking for justification can be a natural reaction. Selfserving bias uses rationalization when it leads to taking more credit for success than we deserve and blame others for our failures. I mean, it does have the word rational in it, so it has mean something along the lines of within reason or logical, right. In addition to forgetting, other defense mechanisms include rationalization, denial, repression, projection, rejection, and reaction formation.
The meaning of rationalization in psychology explained with. His major areas of interest are sociological theory, globalization, and the sociology of consumption. Here, we shed light on the meaning of rationalization, and put forth some examples of the concept to make it easier for you to get wellversed with it. This is a commonly used defense mechanism that allows a person to deal with anxiety. Rationalization is a disavowal defense mechanism which permits an individual to deal with emotional conflicts, or internal or external stressors, by devising reassuring or selfserving but incorrect explanations for his or her own or others thoughts, actions, or feelings, which cover up other motives perry 1990. Rationalization definition of rationalization by medical. Whereas actingup is a lay term for misbehavior, actingout is a misbehavior that is a response to, and a way of coping with, stress or conflict. Projection the misattribution of an undesirable feeling onto. We often believe that only psychiatric patients, especially psychotics, use defense mechanisms. It involves attempting to justify an event or action that doesnt make sense, or that is known to be harmful by describing the event or action as the result of a plausible system or chain of events. For instance, a woman who starts dating a man she really. It is a form of selfdeception unconsciously used to make tolerable certain feelings, behaviors, and motives that would otherwise be unacceptable.
Reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person goes beyond. Rationalization is a disavowal defense mechanism which permits an individual. In this series of blog posts i shall be examining some of the most important methods of selfdeception, starting today with the ego defence of rationalization. The various defense mechanisms include 1 repression originally known as suppression, 2 regression, 3 reaction formation, 4 projection, 5 rationalization, 6. In the psychodynamic hierarchy of mental defense mechanisms denial and paranoid projection are regarded as psychotic defenses because their. Mar 16, 2009 now the traditional thinking on rationalization of course is that it is an unconscious defense mechanism. Defense mechanisms are subconscious ways we deal with strong or unpleasant emotions. In psychoanalytical theory, such an outlook is regarded as a. Oct 29, 2019 in psychology, this behavior pattern is referred to as intellectualization, a defense mechanism, which according to freud involves engrossing oneself so deeply in the reasoning aspect of a situation that you completely disregard the emotional aspect that is involved. The meaning of rationalization in psychology explained. Using the descriptions of defense mechanisms given in the defense mechanism in alcoholismaddiction pdf, give examples of how you used these defenses to avoid dealing with the reality of your circumstances and to persist in your unhealthy behavior. An explanation in which apparently logical reasons are given to justify unacceptable behavior.
Rationalization as a defense mechanism is similar to rationalization as a logical fallacy. An indicator of this defense mechanism can be seen socially as the formulation of convenient excuses making excuses. This idea is widespread, but it is interesting to note how defense mechanisms function in the lives of rather sane people like you and me. Rationalization is a defense mechanism that involves explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a rational or logical manner, avoiding the true reasons for the behavior. The rest of the section consists of a list of definitions for the specific defense mechanisms and coping styles. The substance abuser, on the other hand, relies on these defense mechanisms to justify his or her addiction, thereby distorting their. Rationalization is putting something into a different light or offering a different explanation for ones perceptions or behaviors in the face of a changing reality. Intellectualization, for example, is a common reaction to an anxietyinducing situation. Identify the defense mechanism indicated by the phrase or sentence. People use it often when they are angry, depressed, scared or hurt. This reorganization may lead to an expansion or reduction in company size, a change of policy, or an. The defensive functioning axis is presented first, followed by a recording form. The rationalization defense mechanism is the act of making up logical reasons to explain often illogical things.
In this pilot study the defense mechanism rating scales were used to examine psychodynamic data from patients with dysthymia and patients with panic disorder in order to test the hypotheses that 1. The mechanism usually works negatively to make the person feel worse about the situation or event rather than better. But the rationalization defense mechanism can quickly. It includes taking ones self, emotionally, from a stressful situation. Intellectualization an overview sciencedirect topics. Rationalization helps the person cope with disappointments by blaming external circumstances. We hope that you will join us each morning so that we can help you make your day the best it can be. Rationalization rationalization is a defense process by which plausible reasons justify an action or opinion. The specific defense mechanisms listed may be drawn from the different defense levels.
The primary aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between aggressive styles and defense mechanisms both in bipolar patients and in their parents. In freuds classic psychoanalytic theory, rationalization is a defense mechanism, an. Defense mechanisms according to sigmund freud, who originated the defense mechanism theory, defense mechanisms occur when our ego cannot meet the demands of reality. As a defense mechanism, rationalization is somewhat like intellectualization, but it. Affect, rationalization, and motivation jonathan cohenyand matthew fulkersonz unre. This idea is widespread, but it is interesting to note how defense mechanisms function in the lives of. Thats a good thing, because it means that, as an adult, you can choose to learn some. Rationalization intellectualization projection reaction. Defense mechanisms in alcoholismaddiction by peggy l. Reaction formation, isolation, and denial have been amply shown in studies, and they do seem to serve defensive functions. Intellectualization, as the name suggests, involves viewing a stressful situation in a very intellectual manner without letting ones emotions come in the way. Clinical education and interventions for defense structures of cooccurring populations brian g. Freudian defense mechanisms and empirical findings in modern. The amazing concept of intellectualization explained with.
Defense levels and individual defense mechanisms high adaptive level. Investigating aggressive styles and defense mechanisms in. Minges and others published reaction formation defense mechanism find, read and cite all the. Where a person convinces him or herself that no wrong was done and that all is or was all right through faulty and false reasoning. Jun 03, 2019 remember, defense mechanisms are most often learned behaviors, most of which we learned during childhood. Rationalization is an attempt to logically justify immoral, deviant, or generally unacceptable behavior. For example, a person who is turned down for a date might rationalize the situation by saying they were not attracted to the other person anyway. An ego defense mechanism becomes pathological only when its persistent use leads to maladaptive behavior such that the physical or.
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