Definition

Chaplin

Any behaviour pattern which protects the psyche from anxiety, shame, or guilt.1

English & English

  1. any enduring structure of the psyche that enables a person to avoid awareness of the unpleasant of anxiety-arousing
  2. defense reaction: this usage, while very common, blurs the distinction between the action and the mechanism for the action. 2

References

  1. Dictionary of Psychology, J.P. Chaplin ↩

  2. A Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychological and Psychoanalytical Terms ↩