Adjustment, Defense Mechanisms, Conflicts

1. Jyothish M
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham,
Mysore

2. Adjustment
Dictionary meaning: ‘to fit’, ‘make suitable’, ‘adapt’, etc
James Drever (1952): ‘Adjustment means the
modification to compensate for or meet special
conditions’.
Carter V Good (1959): ‘Adjustment is the process of
finding and adopting modes of behaviour suitable to
the environment or the changes in the environment’.

3. Defense Mechanism
 Defense mechanism is a technique adopted by
individuals to cope with tension, stress and anxiety
that are mainly aroused by conflicts.
 Defense mechanism is given by the Psychologist
Sigmund Freud.

4. Conflict is the operation of two incompatible action
systems.
A Conflict is caused under two situations:
1. It arises when there is an urge to fulfill the two
equally important objectives and needs.
2. It arises when two different goals are set to fulfill a
single need.

5. Types of Conflicts:
An approach-approach conflict
An approach-avoidance conflict
An avoidance-avoidance conflict

7. Types of Defense mechanisms
Aggressive
Mechanisms
• Displacement
• Self-Blame
• Free Floating
Anger
Escape
Mechanisms
• Repression
• Regression
• Day Dream
• Projection
Adjustment
Mechanisms
• Compensation
Direct,
Indirect
and Change
• Sublimation
• Identification
• Rationalisation
• Reaction
formation
• Nomadism
• Undoing

8.  Displacement it is the redirecting of feelings and
anger to other person who had nothing to do with it.
 Repression is defense mechanism where one
unconsciously blocks unacceptable feelings and
thoughts.
 Regression is defense mechanism in which the
person reversion to an earlier stage of development
when he face of unacceptable thoughts or impulses.

9.  Fantasy, also called day dreaming, is a defense
mechanism where one starts imaging thing which is
not happening to him in real life.
 Projection in this type of defense mechanism the
person blame other for being hostile to him, the fact is
other way around.
 Compensation it is defense mechanism where one
tries to compensate his weakness and stress on his
strong area.

10.  Sublimation is a defense mechanism where a person
channels energy of unacceptable feeling to a more
useful feeling.
 Reaction Formation. It is a defense mechanism
where one can’t express his true emotions of
unhappiness toward a job or task given to him by some
one. He converts his feeling of unhappiness and
unwillingness to opposite thoughts and shows his
willingness and happiness for that task.
 Undoing it is the state of mind where one tries to take
back his previous behavior.

11.  Nomadism- one who deviates from the unpleasant
situations.
 Rationalization it is a defense mechanism where one
finds different explanations for his failure putting and
sees things in different perception.