According to psychoanalytic theory, which of the following best describes the role of the superego in personality development and mental health?
It represents internalized moral standards and ideals, often generating feelings of guilt and pride.
It operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic drives.
It acts as the mediator between the conscious and unconscious mind, balancing impulses and reality.
It is responsible for unconscious defense mechanisms that protect the ego from anxiety.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: The superego internalizes societal and parental standards of right and wrong. It guides moral development and can produce guilt when standards are violated or pride when they are upheld.
Choice B reason: The pleasure principle refers to the id, which seeks immediate gratification of desires without considering consequences. This does not describe the superego.
Choice C reason: The ego, not the superego, mediates between the id, superego, and external reality. It works on the reality principle to balance impulses with acceptable behavior.
Choice D reason: Defense mechanisms are managed by the ego, not the superego. They protect against anxiety but are not the superego’s primary function.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","C"]
Explanation
Choice A reason: Avoiding judgmental remarks supports therapeutic rapport and prevents worsening anxiety or defensiveness.
Choice B reason: Teaching coping strategies like thought stopping helps the client begin to manage obsessive behaviors more effectively.
Choice C reason: Identifying triggers for obsessive behaviors allows the nurse and client to develop strategies for prevention and management.
Choice D reason: Removing magazines to prevent counting avoids addressing the underlying compulsion and may increase anxiety. This approach is not appropriate in the initial care plan.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Rationalization involves creating logical explanations to justify behavior or feelings. In this case, the client is not justifying but outright rejecting the diagnosis, so this does not apply.
Choice B reason: Regression occurs when an individual reverts to earlier developmental behaviors, such as childish actions, to cope with stress. The client is not reverting to earlier behaviors but refusing to accept reality.
Choice C reason: Denial is the refusal to accept reality or facts, blocking external events from conscious awareness. The client’s insistence that the diagnosis is a mistake demonstrates denial, making this the correct defense mechanism.
Choice D reason: Projection occurs when a person attributes their unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else. The client is not attributing their illness to others but rejecting its existence altogether.
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