You learn that a client witnessed his mother being abused by his father as a child and later forgot the incident, with no memory of it. This is an example of which defense mechanism?

You learn that a client witnessed his mother being abused by his father as a child and later forgot the incident, with no memory of it. This is an example of which defense mechanism?

• A. Denial
• B. Displacement
• C. Repression
• D. Reaction formation

Answer: (C)

Repression is a defense mechanism in which distressing memories or impulses are kept out of conscious awareness, often automatically to shield the person from unbearable emotions. In this scenario, the client witnesses his mother being abused as a child and later has no memory of the incident. The memory isn’t actively erased or denied; it’s unconsciously blocked, resulting in amnesia for the event. That pattern fits repression: trauma remains out of conscious recall but can still influence behavior and emotions indirectly. By contrast, denial would involve acknowledging the event but refusing to accept its reality or impact; displacement would redirect feelings toward a safer target rather than erasing the memory; reaction formation would express the opposite of the true feelings, not simply forget the memory.

Repression is a defense mechanism in which distressing memories or impulses are kept out of conscious awareness, often automatically to shield the person from unbearable emotions. In this scenario, the client witnesses his mother being abused as a child and later has no memory of the incident. The memory isn’t actively erased or denied; it’s unconsciously blocked, resulting in amnesia for the event. That pattern fits repression: trauma remains out of conscious recall but can still influence behavior and emotions indirectly. By contrast, denial would involve acknowledging the event but refusing to accept its reality or impact; displacement would redirect feelings toward a safer target rather than erasing the memory; reaction formation would express the opposite of the true feelings, not simply forget the memory.