Defense levels

Individual defense mechanisms

Score

1. High adaptive level

Anticipation, affiliation, altruism, humor, self-assertion, self-observation, sublimation, suppression

30

2. Mental inhibition level

Displacement, dissociation, intellectualization, isolation of affect, reaction formation, repression, undoing

25

3. Minor image-distorting level

Devaluation, idealization, omnipotence

20

4. Disavowal level

Denial, projection, rationalization

15

5. Major image-distorting level

Autistic fantasy, projective identification, splitting of self-image or image of others

10

6. Action level

Acting out, apathetic withdrawal, help-rejecting complaining, passive aggression

5

7. Level of defensive dysregulation

Delusional projection, psychotic denial, psychotic distortion

0