Which defense involves ritualistic efforts to undo damage and reduce guilt about past actions?

Which defense involves ritualistic efforts to undo damage and reduce guilt about past actions?

• A. Undoing
• B. Conversion
• C. Alloplastic Behavior
• D. Autoplastic adaptation

Answer: (A)

Undoing is a defense mechanism in which a person tries to symbolically reverse or negate an unacceptable thought, action, or feeling by engaging in ritualistic or compensatory acts to relieve guilt. This pattern fits the description of ritualistic efforts aimed at undoing damage and reducing guilt about past actions, offering a sense of control and moral cleansing. Conversion involves turning psychological distress into physical symptoms, not ritual acts to undo past actions. Alloplastic behavior focuses on changing the external environment to meet needs, rather than reversing internal guilt through rituals. Autoplastic adaptation refers to changing the self—attitudes, coping styles—to better fit the situation, rather than attempting to undo a past action through ritualized behavior.

Undoing is a defense mechanism in which a person tries to symbolically reverse or negate an unacceptable thought, action, or feeling by engaging in ritualistic or compensatory acts to relieve guilt. This pattern fits the description of ritualistic efforts aimed at undoing damage and reducing guilt about past actions, offering a sense of control and moral cleansing.

Conversion involves turning psychological distress into physical symptoms, not ritual acts to undo past actions. Alloplastic behavior focuses on changing the external environment to meet needs, rather than reversing internal guilt through rituals. Autoplastic adaptation refers to changing the self—attitudes, coping styles—to better fit the situation, rather than attempting to undo a past action through ritualized behavior.