Isolation (psychology): Difference between revisions
(Created page with "{{Header|Isolation (psychology) 04/25}} {{cat-psych|Isolation (psychology)}} '''This article is about a psychological defense mechanism. For lack of social contact, see Social isolation'''. '''Isolation''' is a defense mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, initially introduced by Sigmund Freud. While it shares similarities with repression, the concept stands apart in key ways. It is defined as a mental process that creates a divide between unpleasant or threatening th...") |
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'''This article is about a psychological defense mechanism. For lack of social contact, see [[Social isolation]]'''. | '''This article is about a psychological defense mechanism.''' | ||
: '''For lack of social contact, see [[Social isolation]]'''. | |||
'''Isolation''' is a defense mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, initially introduced by Sigmund Freud. While it shares similarities with repression, the concept stands apart in key ways. It is defined as a mental process that creates a divide between unpleasant or threatening thoughts and other feelings. By reducing connections to different thoughts, the threatening cognition is recalled less frequently, which in turn exerts less influence on self-esteem or self-concept. Freud exemplified this idea with a scenario where an individual begins to think and then pauses briefly before shifting to another topic. According to his theory, this interval signifies that the individual is symbolically indicating a refusal to allow the thoughts related to that impression or activity to connect with other thoughts. As a protective measure against harmful thoughts, isolation safeguards the self from letting these cognitions recur, thus preventing potential damage to the self-concept. | '''Isolation''' is a defense mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, initially introduced by [[Sigmund Freud]]. While it shares similarities with repression, the concept stands apart in key ways. It is defined as a mental process that creates a divide between unpleasant or threatening thoughts and other feelings. By reducing connections to different thoughts, the threatening cognition is recalled less frequently, which in turn exerts less influence on self-esteem or self-concept. Freud exemplified this idea with a scenario where an individual begins to think and then pauses briefly before shifting to another topic. According to his theory, this interval signifies that the individual is symbolically indicating a refusal to allow the thoughts related to that impression or activity to connect with other thoughts. As a protective measure against harmful thoughts, isolation safeguards the self from letting these cognitions recur, thus preventing potential damage to the self-concept. | ||
Evidence | Evidence | ||
Latest revision as of 23:55, 20 April 2025
This article is about a psychological defense mechanism.
- For lack of social contact, see Social isolation.
Isolation is a defense mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, initially introduced by Sigmund Freud. While it shares similarities with repression, the concept stands apart in key ways. It is defined as a mental process that creates a divide between unpleasant or threatening thoughts and other feelings. By reducing connections to different thoughts, the threatening cognition is recalled less frequently, which in turn exerts less influence on self-esteem or self-concept. Freud exemplified this idea with a scenario where an individual begins to think and then pauses briefly before shifting to another topic. According to his theory, this interval signifies that the individual is symbolically indicating a refusal to allow the thoughts related to that impression or activity to connect with other thoughts. As a protective measure against harmful thoughts, isolation safeguards the self from letting these cognitions recur, thus preventing potential damage to the self-concept.
Evidence Numerous studies indicate that individuals protect themselves from threats by mentally isolating them. Repressors typically process information in a quick, superficial, or minimal manner. When confronted with negative information, they often produce spontaneous happy thoughts or feelings to lessen its impact. In contrast, depressed individuals engage in much deeper processing of both positive and negative information, forming strong associative links with similar content. When they attempt to avoid hurtful thoughts, they frequently end up thinking of additional negative ones. Research involving both humans and animals suggests that isolation heightens sensitivity to social threats and encourages the rebuilding of social connections.
One study showed that people remained satisfied with their performance in the face of negative feedback as long as they could keep the feedback isolated from performance standards. The researchers presented the standards either before the performance, after the performance, or before and after the input. Those who received the standards early recalled them just like the others, but ignored them. They managed to isolate their feedback from the standards, thus minimizing the threat to their self-esteem. Those who received the standards later were less satisfied with their performance, as they were unable to escape the lack of success compared to the norm. This form of isolation has been referred to as trivializing.
Another significant form of isolation is known as "temporal bracketing," where a perceived failure or shortcoming is relegated to the past, thereby diminishing its effect on the present self. This distance from the past can manifest in experiences like religious conversion or "born again" moments, certain drug addiction recovery programs, and the destruction of delinquent files in the legal system. These socially endorsed practices effectively normalize isolation in specific contexts, alleviating some stress linked to prior events. Individuals with low self-esteem frequently employ temporal bracketing when reflecting on past failures. By separating themselves from any wrongdoing they recall, they assert that it bears no relevance to their current circumstances or relationships with others.
Effect
Habitual repressors tend to have fewer negative memories compared to others, but this difference is linked to secondary associations. Studies on repressors revealed that they experience equally intense negative reactions to unpleasant memories; however, those memories trigger fewer associated negative emotions than they do for non-repressors. The term "architecture of less complex emotions" was coined to explain this phenomenon. While repressors harbor negative memories just like anyone else, they experience less distress from them because these memories are more isolated. Most contemporary researchers acknowledge that this isolation serves as a key and effective mechanism for defending against harmful thoughts. It's a coping strategy that avoids the need for reality denial, making it a more viable option than alternatives such as denial, sublimation, or projection. Further investigation is required for the concept of isolation to be fully validated.
See also [ Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions ]
External links
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Isolation_(psychology) ]
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