In which defense mechanism one make excuse giving a reason different from the real one?

Appeared in: HPSSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

Rationalization is the defense mechanism that involves making excuses or justifying behavior with a plausible reason, while the true motive is different and often unacceptable.
The core of rationalization is to substitute an acceptable conscious motive for an unacceptable unconscious one.
An example is a student who fails an exam and blames the teacher's difficult questions instead of acknowledging their own lack of preparation.
This mechanism protects self-esteem by avoiding self-blame and accountability.

Option A: Projection involves attributing one's own undesirable thoughts, feelings, or motives onto another person. It is about blaming others for one's own feelings, not making excuses for one's actions.
Option C: Displacement involves redirecting emotions or impulses from the original target to a less threatening one. It's about changing the target of the emotion, not changing the reason for the action.
Option D: Reaction formation is when a person behaves in the opposite way to how they truly feel. It's about masking true feelings with opposite behaviors, not about creating excuses.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Defense Mechanisms in Psychiatry helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Recognizing rationalization in patients helps nurses understand that there may be underlying anxiety or fear driving their behavior or health choices.
Nurses should use therapeutic communication to explore these underlying feelings rather than confronting the patient's excuse, which can cause defensiveness.
For example, a patient who misses a follow-up appointment and says they were 'too busy' might actually be afraid of receiving bad news. A nurse can gently probe this by saying, 'It can be difficult to make time for appointments, especially when you might be worried about the results.'.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key phrase in the question: 'make excuse giving a reason different from the real one'.
This points to a process of justification or excuse-making.
Next, define each of the four options in your mind.
Projection is blaming others for your feelings.
Rationalization is making excuses.
Displacement is shifting feelings to a safer target.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QAPC-3vDfyJ6NgnuaEJxG7

E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 2 pp. 187-189, 188-190

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 3349-3351

Practise the full HPSSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.