Independent University, Bangladesh School of Business MBA Program

Course Title: Consumer Behavior M!T "#$%

Assignment: $

Su&mitted to

'r(A&u )aser Ahmed Ishtia*ue(

Su&mitted &y

+ariha Tashmeen I': ,-.,.#-

/uestion: 0hat is defense mechanism1 0hat are the different types of defense mechanism1 2ive e3ample on your o4n e3perience(

'efense Mechanism
Defense mechanism is a tactic developed by the ego to protect against anxiety. Defense mechanisms are thought to safeguard the mind against feelings and thoughts that are too difficult for the conscious mind to cope with. In some instances, defense mechanisms are thought to keep inappropriate or unwanted thoughts and impulses from entering the conscious mind.

According to Sigmund Freud, who developed the concept in the late !th and early "#th centuries, defense mechanisms are a ma$or component of personality. Freud believed that personality consists of the ego, the id, and the superego. %he id is the source of instincts and natural desires& when these clash with social norms, tension arises as the superego disapproves and the ego mediates between them. Defense mechanisms respond by shifting such desires, feelings, and associated thoughts to the unconscious. 'ecause of anxiety provoking demands created by the id, superego and reality, the ego has developed a number of defense mechanisms to cope with anxiety. Although we may knowingly use these mechanisms, in many cases these defenses work unconsciously to distort reality. (hile all defense mechanisms can be unhealthy, they can also be adaptive and allow us to function normally. %he greatest problems arise when defense mechanisms are overused in order to avoid dealing with problems. In psychoanalytic therapy, the goal may be to help the client uncover these unconscious defense mechanisms and find better, more healthy ways of coping with anxiety and distress.

%here are different types of defense mechanism. Such as)

"

 Aggression *ationali+ation *egression (ithdrawal ,ro$ection Day dreaming Identification *epression

Aggression
Aggression is a way to deflect thinking from whatever is causing the anxiety. Aggressive people are usually anxious about something and trying to avoid the emotion involved with the anxiety. %hey strike out at everyone else around them instead of dealing with their emotions. %he opposite of aggression is avoidance, where the person refuses to even fact the situation. 53ample For my bouti-ue business, I have several vendors who supply fabrics to me. .nce I purchased few fabrics from one of the vendors and cleared the payment. After a while he started claiming that I did not pay him which I found very offending because I am one of his oldest customers and most importantly, I actually paid. I tried but could not convince him. After that I stopped shopping from him even if I can not find desirable product from other shops.

6ationali7ation
*ationali+ation is unconsciously false self0$ustification. %he individual is primarily concerned with preserving his own good opinion of himself or with not allowing this opinion to be damaged any more than is necessary. 53ample (hen sometimes I fail to deliver a dress without proper packaging to my cousins or close friends, at times I say that I did not get enough time to do the proper packaging. (hich is partially true and partially I actually focused more on my customers by giving them maximum time.

0ithdra4al
(ithdrawal is a term referring to the feelings of discomfort, distress, and intense craving for a substance that occur when use of the substance is stopped. 53ample I went to music school with my sister when we were in school. 1y sister is a very good singer and our teacher2s favorite unlike me. I was always bad at singing. 3ater I reali+ed that this is not my thing so I simply -uit.

Pro8ection
,ro$ection means misattribution of own undesired thoughts, feelings or impulses onto another person who does not have those thoughts, feelings or impulses.

53ample (hen I started using android phone, I was unfamiliar with the features of the phone. At times I blamed the product or the brand because of my failure to do some tasks on the phone. 3ater I reali+ed, it2s not the brand or the phone, it was me who were unable to operate android phone.

'aydreaming
A dreamlike musing or fantasy while awake, especially of the fulfillment of wishes or hopes 53ample I always dream to have my models walk on ,aris Fashion (eek ramp wearing my designs. %his need is unfulfilled for the time being.

Identification
Identification means unconsciously modeling after another person.

53ample %he advertisement of 5Straight 3ock Sunsilk Shampoo2 made me reali+e that I want to have silky straight hair right after shampooing where the straightness will get locked and my hair will not go fri++y after few hours.

6epression
6nacceptable material is involuntarily put out of awareness and can7t be voluntarily recalled. 53ample 1any of my closest friends have backstabbed me. So I keep very few friends. 8owever, because I always had many friends and we used to hang out and have fun, now a days I tend to hang out with my cousins fre-uently because end of the day I want to get rid of the bad memories and feel like having more friends.