Synonyms
Definition
Introjection as a defense mechanism refers to the internalization of mental representations attributed to an external object, or the so-called introject, introjected object, or internal object (Rycroft 1995).
Introduction
Although the terms introjection, internalization, identification, and incorporation are often used interchangeably and inconsistently (Conte and Plutchik 1995), they are also considered as distinctive modes of psychological development (Meissner 1981) and are opposite to the externalizing process of projection.
Introjection is assumed to be part of normative development and it continues throughout the life cycle. Introjections of external objects enable one to build mental representations and schemas of the self and the external world, and they include various cognitive modes, such as sensorimotor, lexical, and symbolic (Piaget 1954). By introjecting new experiences of the external world, existing...
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References
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Cariola, L. (2017). Introjection (Defense Mechanism). In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1391-1
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