Which term describes a defense mechanism that involves denying or retracting unacceptable thoughts or impulses?

• A. Fixation
• B. Ego-defense mechanism
• C. Electra complex
• D. Libido

Answer: (B)

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies the ego uses to reduce anxiety by distorting reality or denying uncomfortable thoughts. Denying or retracting unacceptable thoughts or impulses fits this pattern as a way the ego protects itself from inner conflict. The term that names this broad family of processes is ego-defense mechanism, since it describes the mechanisms the ego employs to cope with stress and unacceptable impulses. The other options don’t describe this general concept: fixation relates to unresolved development at a psychosexual stage, the Electra complex is a particular developmental pattern, and libido refers to psychic energy, not a coping mechanism.