IGNOU PB. Bsc. Nsg. Entrance-2025
Applied Psychology
Easy

Hero-worshipping is a form of :

Appeared in: IGNOU PB. Bsc. Nsg. Entrance-2025

Explanation

  • Hero-worshipping is a form of identification, a defense mechanism where an individual adopts the traits, values, and behaviors of an admired person.
  • This process helps bolster self-esteem and provides a model for behavior, especially during developmental stages like adolescence.
  • The individual unconsciously or consciously patterns their own identity after the 'hero' to cope with feelings of inadequacy or to feel more powerful.
  • It is a way of forming an imaginary or real alliance with a person or institution to enhance one's own sense of self.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Displacement involves redirecting emotions (usually negative) toward a different, safer target. It does not involve adopting another person's characteristics.
  • Option C: Fantasy is about escaping reality through imagination and daydreaming. Hero-worshipping is an active process of emulating someone in the real world, not just imagining things.
  • Option D: Obsession involves intrusive, unwanted, and distressing thoughts or urges. Hero-worshipping is typically a voluntary and positive form of admiration, not a source of anxiety.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Psychological Defense Mechanisms as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Understanding defense mechanisms helps nurses recognize how patients are coping with stress, illness, or anxiety. It allows them to differentiate between healthy (adaptive) and unhealthy (maladaptive) behaviors.
  • A nurse might observe a young patient with a chronic illness idolizing a superhero. Recognizing this as identification helps the nurse understand the patient is using this mechanism to cope with feelings of vulnerability and weakness.
  • What if? If a patient's hero-worshipping becomes extreme, leading them to engage in dangerous behaviors to emulate their idol (e.g., attempting a dangerous stunt), it transitions from a normal developmental phase to a maladaptive behavior requiring psychological intervention.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, define the term in the question stem: 'Hero-worshipping' is the act of greatly admiring someone and wanting to be like them.
  • Next, review the options, which are all psychological concepts. Briefly define each one in your mind.
  • Match the definition of hero-worshipping to the definitions of the options.
  • Identification is the process of adopting the traits or behaviors of another person. This aligns perfectly with the concept of wanting to be like a hero.
  • Evaluate the other options: Displacement (shifting feelings), Fantasy (escaping reality), and Obsession (intrusive thoughts) do not fit the definition of hero-worshipping.
  • Conclude that identification is the correct psychological term for hero-worshipping.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Psychological Defense Mechanisms
  • Stem keywords: Hero-worshipping
  • Lead-in keywords: is a form of
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QPphDskHWwUiweVCS6Q0Ko

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2991-2993

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 3347-3349

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