Ego Defence Mechanism

George Eman Vaillant proposed a four-level categorization of defense mechanisms. Here is the corrected categorization:

A) Psychotic Level Defense Mechanisms:

Delusional Projection: 

Firmly believing that one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings belong to someone else or attributing them to external sources.

Distortion: 

Grossly misinterpreting reality to fit one's own internal needs or beliefs.

B) Immature Level Defense Mechanisms:

Projection:

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to others.

Fantasy: 

Escaping from reality by creating elaborate daydreams or fantasy worlds.

Denial: 

Refusing to acknowledge or accept reality or the existence of a problem.

Primitive Idealization: 

Seeing people and situations as all good or all bad, with no middle ground.

Passive Aggression: 

Indirectly expressing anger or hostility through passive means, such as procrastination, stubbornness, or sarcasm.

c) Neurotic Level Defense Mechanisms:

Intellectualization: 

Overemphasizing the intellectual aspects of a situation while avoiding the emotional components.

Rationalization: 

Creating logical explanations or justifications for one's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to avoid facing uncomfortable realities.

Undoing: 

Trying to reverse or negate an undesirable thought, feeling, or action through contrasting actions or behaviors.

Projection: 

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to others.

Displacement: 

Redirecting emotions or impulses from the original source to a less threatening target.

Isolation of Affect: 

Separating thoughts or memories from the associated emotions, making it easier to discuss or think about them without feeling the emotions.

Somatization: 

Expressing emotional distress through physical symptoms or complaints.

Dissociation: 

Separating oneself from parts of consciousness, memory, or identity to avoid emotional distress.

D) Mature Level Defense Mechanisms:

Sublimation:

Redirecting potentially harmful or unacceptable impulses or emotions into socially acceptable and constructive outlets, such as creative pursuits or career achievements.

Suppression: 

Consciously and temporarily putting aside thoughts or emotions to deal with them at a later, more appropriate time.

Altruism: 

Dealing with stress or negative emotions by helping others or focusing on their needs.

Anticipation: 

Preparing for future stressors by thinking ahead and planning for them.

Affiliation: 

Turning to others for support and comfort during difficult times.

Thought Suppression: 

Intentionally trying to block or suppress unwanted or distressing thoughts.

Vaillant's four-level categorization provides a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals use defense mechanisms to cope with various stressors and emotions. It emphasizes the role of maturity and adaptability in defense mechanisms and their impact on psychological well-being.