LMSW Practice Test

Mrs. Taylor was referred to a social worker after her alcoholic husband was hospitalized. She feels her husband sees her as a mother symbol and blames her for his problems. She finds psychological remedies for him in books. Mrs. Taylor's major defense mechanisms are

1. compensation and displacement

2. denial and intellectualization

3. obsessions and compulsions

4. reaction-formation

The correct answer is: denial and intellectualization

The correct answer is denial and intellectualization. Denial is a defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or facts, effectively protecting themselves from the uncomfortable truth of their situation. In Mrs. Taylor's case, her belief that she can find psychological remedies for her husband through books may signify a refusal to confront the deeper emotional issues within their relationship or the reality of his alcoholism. Intellectualization, on the other hand, involves using logic and reasoning to detach from the emotional aspects of a situation. Mrs. Taylor's approach of seeking psychological remedies in literature rather than engaging with the emotional turmoil of her husband's addiction reflects a tendency to intellectualize her emotions and circumstances. This allows her to maintain some control and distance from the pain that comes with being married to someone struggling with alcohol dependence. Considering the context of the other options, they do not align as closely with Mrs. Taylor's situation. For example, compensation involves offsetting a perceived weakness by emphasizing strengths in other areas, and displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original source to a safer target. These mechanisms do not accurately describe Mrs. Taylor's behavior as presented in the scenario.