Mr. Buxton tells the mental health nurse that he has absolutely no memory of hitting Mrs. Buxton. What defense mechanism is this an example of?

• A. Splitting
• B. Repression
• C. Introjection
• D. Compensation

Answer: (A)

Defense mechanisms that help a person cope with distress can involve dissociating from painful experiences. In this scenario, the memory of the act is blocked as a way to protect the self from guilt and maintain a stable self-image as a nonviolent person. This fits splitting, where the individual keeps a positive self-view by separating or denying the unacceptable behavior from conscious awareness, effectively creating a split between who they are and what they did. Repression is a similar concept of burying painful memories, but splitting specifically emphasizes keeping conflicting self-perceptions apart to preserve a coherent self-concept. Introjection involves internalizing others’ attributes, and compensation focuses on correcting a perceived deficiency by emphasizing other strengths.