Which term describes the unconscious strategies the ego uses to defend against anxiety?

Which term describes the unconscious strategies the ego uses to defend against anxiety?

• A. Denial
• B. Rationalization
• C. Projection
• D. Ego Defense Mechanisms

Answer: (D)

Defense mechanisms are unconscious processes the ego uses to shield itself from anxiety caused by inner conflicts and external stress. The question is asking for the label that describes the whole set of those strategies, so the umbrella term “ego defense mechanisms” is the most accurate. Denial, rationalization, and projection are all specific examples of these defenses—they illustrate how the ego distorts or avoids reality to reduce distress. But naming just one of them describes only a single tactic, not the entire family of protective processes the ego employs.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious processes the ego uses to shield itself from anxiety caused by inner conflicts and external stress. The question is asking for the label that describes the whole set of those strategies, so the umbrella term “ego defense mechanisms” is the most accurate. Denial, rationalization, and projection are all specific examples of these defenses—they illustrate how the ego distorts or avoids reality to reduce distress. But naming just one of them describes only a single tactic, not the entire family of protective processes the ego employs.