What are defense mechanisms according to Freud?

Defense mechanisms, as proposed by Freud, are unconscious strategies that individuals use to protect themselves from anxiety or stress that arises from internal conflicts, desires, or fears. These mechanisms operate below the level of conscious awareness and help individuals cope with difficult emotions and experiences. They serve to distort, deny, or minimize reality in various ways, allowing a person to maintain a sense of psychological equilibrium.

For example, projection involves attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings onto someone else, while rationalization provides logical or reasonable explanations for behaviors that are actually driven by emotional factors. These mechanisms can be crucial for psychological defense, helping individuals manage anxiety caused by the id’s demands, the ego’s challenges, and the superego’s moral standards.

The other options refer to conscious behaviors or strategies that do not align with Freud’s concept of defense mechanisms. Personal goal achievement, social relationship enhancement, or physical activities may be useful for overall well-being but do not fit within Freud's framework of unconscious psychological operations. Thus, the understanding of defense mechanisms emphasizes their function as unconscious processes rather than deliberate or conscious actions.