Reaction formation: Difference between revisions
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A man who is overly aroused by pornographic material who utilizes reaction formation may take on an attitude of criticism toward the topic. He may end up sacrificing many of the positive things in his life, including family relationships, by traveling around the country to anti-pornography rallies. This view may become an obsession, whereby the man eventually does nothing but travel from rally to rally speaking out against pornography. He continues to do this, but only feels temporary relief, because the deeply rooted arousal to an unacceptable behaviour such as watching pornography is still present, and underlying the implementation of the defense. At that point he can be said to have developed an obsessional personality above and beyond the defense mechanism. |
A man who is overly aroused by pornographic material who utilizes reaction formation may take on an attitude of criticism toward the topic. He may end up sacrificing many of the positive things in his life, including family relationships, by traveling around the country to anti-pornography rallies. This view may become an obsession, whereby the man eventually does nothing but travel from rally to rally speaking out against pornography. He continues to do this, but only feels temporary relief, because the deeply rooted arousal to an unacceptable behaviour such as watching pornography is still present, and underlying the implementation of the defense. At that point he can be said to have developed an obsessional personality above and beyond the defense mechanism. |
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When a heterosexual individual supports and maintains strong homophobic beliefs, this may be an example of Freud's theory, in that the person seeks to counteract their deep-seated and often untouched homosexual desires. A reaction formation is used to balance the ego-id-superego emotion of this homosexual living as a heterosexual in order to relieve the individual's anxiety.<ref>Adams, H.E., Wright, R.W. & Lohr, B.A. (1996). [http://www.oogachaga.com/downloads/homophobia_and_homosexual_arousal.pdf Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal?] ''Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 3,'' pp. 440-445.</ref> |
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==Relationship Assessment== |
==Relationship Assessment== |
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Revision as of 17:28, 9 December 2008
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In Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which anxiety-producing or unacceptable emotions are replaced by their direct opposites.[1]
This mechanism is often characteristic of obsessional neuroses. When this mechanism is overused, especially during the formation of the ego, it can become a permanent character trait. This is often seen in those with obsessional character and obsessive personality disorders. This does not imply that its periodic usage is always obsessional, but that it can lead to obsessional behavior.
Sexual identity
A man who is overly aroused by pornographic material who utilizes reaction formation may take on an attitude of criticism toward the topic. He may end up sacrificing many of the positive things in his life, including family relationships, by traveling around the country to anti-pornography rallies. This view may become an obsession, whereby the man eventually does nothing but travel from rally to rally speaking out against pornography. He continues to do this, but only feels temporary relief, because the deeply rooted arousal to an unacceptable behaviour such as watching pornography is still present, and underlying the implementation of the defense. At that point he can be said to have developed an obsessional personality above and beyond the defense mechanism.
When a heterosexual individual supports and maintains strong homophobic beliefs, this may be an example of Freud's theory, in that the person seeks to counteract their deep-seated and often untouched homosexual desires. A reaction formation is used to balance the ego-id-superego emotion of this homosexual living as a heterosexual in order to relieve the individual's anxiety.[2]
Relationship Assessment
When the ego cannot deal with the demands of desires (including sexual and love) and reality, anxiety follows. Freud believed that anxiety is an unpleasant inner state that people sought to avoid. In an attempt to protect ourselves from this anxiety, people employ Reaction formation unconsciously in their daily lives. Reaction Formation involves adopting opposite feelings, impulses or behavior. Someone adopting a reaction formation defense strategy would treat a spouse or loved one in the same manner in which they’d treat a hated enemy. Another example would be that two people really fond of each other fight all the time, in order to suppress their desire of love for each other. This may also occur when there is a failure of acceptance that the other person is really important to them. In order to suppress their feelings for that person, they may resort to reaction formation and try to hate or fight with their loved ones in order to avoid the anxiety of not having them around.
See also
References
- ^ "Defenses". www.psychpage.com. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- ^ Adams, H.E., Wright, R.W. & Lohr, B.A. (1996). Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 3, pp. 440-445.