Synonyms
To be differentiated from idolizing, narcissism, and splitting (see below). Common language phrases: “putting someone on a pedestal.”
Introduction
Defense mechanisms are automatic psychological processes that protect an individual from emotional conflicts or awareness of internal or external stressors. They affect individuals’ reactions to conflicts and stressors (DSM-IV, APA 1994). Defenses can be arranged hierarchically based on their usual level of adaptiveness. Within the hierarchy, defenses are grouped by level based on common functions. These levels include the psychotic (0), action (1), major image-distorting (2), disavowal and autistic-fantasy (3), minor image-distorting (4), neurotic (5b), hysterical (5a), obsessional...
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Leduc-Cummings, I., Starrs, C.J., Perry, J. (2020). Idealization. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1385
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