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entity go
that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving)

abstraction, abstract entity go
a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples

psychological feature go
a feature of the mental life of a living organism

cognition, knowledge, noesis go
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

process, unconscious process go
a mental process that you are not directly aware of

defense, defence, defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence mechanism, defence reaction
(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires

noun.process

12 Subcategories

compensation go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that conceals your undesirable shortcomings by exaggerating desirable behaviors
conversion go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism represses emotional conflicts which are then converted into physical symptoms that have no organic basis
denial go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that denies painful thoughts
displacement go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that transfers affect or reaction from the original object to some more acceptable one
idealization, idealisation go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad
intellectualization, intellectualisation go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict
isolation go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which memory of an unacceptable act or impulse is separated from the emotion originally associated with it
projection go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits and emotions are attributed to someone else
rationalization, rationalisation go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening
reaction formation go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them
regression go
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile state
repression go
(psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious