Which defense mechanism involves the unconscious blocking of external events from awareness?

• A. Suppression
• B. Denial
• C. Repression
• D. Projection

Answer: (C)

When we look at how the mind shields itself from anxiety, repression is the unconscious act of blocking from awareness. It happens without the person trying to hide something on purpose, so thoughts or memories don’t even enter conscious view, even though they may still influence feelings or behavior. This is different from suppression, which is a deliberate, conscious choice to push upsetting thoughts out of mind. Denial involves refusing to accept reality as it is, rather than pushing specific memories away. Projection involves taking our own unacceptable thoughts and attributing them to someone else, rather than keeping them out of awareness. Repression is the mechanism that removes threatening material from consciousness in a nonvoluntary way, which is why it’s the best fit for the description.