For example if someone suffered from verbal abuse in relationships as a child, they can repress the memory of that. Without repression these feelings can make it hard for them to form relationships as an adult. If someone can repress these negative memories, they will be better able to form relationships as an adult and protect their self image through altered imagery. If someone tells them they will never be able to love and form meaningful relationships, and they repress this, they will have a more positive self-image of themselves. This is because they will not remember being told that.
Displacement is a self-defense mechanism that focuses on shifting aggressive or sexual impulses to something less intimidating. This allows a person to redirect their emotions onto someone or something else. This can be used to vent and workout their problems in a calm and controlled manner. For example if you are feeling angry you may kick a book bag or trash can. It is used to enhance self-image because you are deflecting any negative thoughts …show more content…
Cognitive dissonance is the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change. For latitia she is conflicted with her feelings about her boyfriend. She is not sure if she loves him however she does not want to lose him. This explains why she is easily coaxed into sleeping with him. She is scared that if she does not sleep with him she will be rejected and lose him, and this fear overpowers her confliction of not being sure if she loves him. Because she is coaxed into sleeping with him and she is conflicted about loving him she is forced to convince herself that she really does love him because that gives her an excuse for sleeping with him. This is how she gets over the fact that she slept with him and does not potentially love him. It is easier to convince herself that she loves him then dealing with her actual issues. In the future she should be more sure about how she feels about someone before sleeping with them. By laying out these emotional guidelines she will be less likely to be coaxed into making rash decisions. If she does not allow her future boyfriends needs to go before her feelings she can have a stronger relationship and not worry about having sex and not being in love because she is sure of how she