Analysis Of Susana's Undesirable Behavior

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QUIZ # 1 The writer selected part 1A to analyze five-year-old Susana’s undesirable behavior. The question from part 1A dealt with defense mechanisms. When a person’s ego feels it is in danger, it protects itself by using defense mechanisms (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2011, p. 175). One defense mechanism that Susana exhibits is displacement. Displacement is the practice of people transferring their feelings and behaviors towards a substitute person or object (Robbins et al., 2011, p.176). Susana demonstrates displacement by transferring her feelings of anger and unhappiness when her mother, Jacquie, is not around by becoming aggressive with her younger cousins. In addition, Susana is taking out her frustration by throwing tantrums and being finicky during mealtime. Susana’s displacement as a defense mechanism is maladaptive due to her inappropriate behavior such as becoming violent with her younger cousins. Having tantrums to release her frustration of not having her mother is also a maladaptive aspect of Susana’s displacement as a defense mechanism. It could become an adaptive defense mechanism if …show more content…

Part 5A was on Freud’s structural theory of the mind, which involves the id, ego, and superego. The id is present at birth and is the source and storage of sexual and aggressive impulses (Schamess, 2011, p. 51). It causes negative impulses to occur when one does not obtain the satisfaction he or she seeks (Schamess, 2011, p. 51). The superego, on the other hand, develops as moral beliefs and prohibitions within the brain (Schamess, 2011, p. 52). The superego tells the brain what behaviors are appropriate and causes it to reflect before taking action in order to fit into society. The ego maintains the psychological organization and constancy (Schamess, 2011, p.54). The ego develops when a person is able to separate themselves from other people (Robbins et al., 2011, p.

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