Friday 21 December 2012

Usmle Step 1 MCQ’s # 34

Title: Usmle Step 1 MCQ’s # 34
Subject: Behavioral Science

Q NO 34: A pathologist receives a phone call from a patient who was diagnosed with a 15-cm recurrent, mediastinal seminoma. During the conversation it becomes clear that despite the patient’s obvious intelligence, the man does not really understand that his disease is probably incurable. The patient keeps talking about his long-term plans for the future, and believes that the pathologist must have “misunderstood” how big his tumor was. Later, the surgeon tells the pathologist that he has spent 12 hours over the last six months trying to explain the prognosis to the patient. The patient is most likely using which of the following defense mechanisms?

A. Denial
B. Displacement
C. Reaction formation
D. Regression
E. Repression

Explanation:
The correct answer is A. This is denial, in which a person behaves as if he or she is unaware of something he may reasonably be expected to know. Denial is common in medical settings and this case is a real one. Denial is distinguished from the related concept of repression mostly by the deeper level of sub consciousness at which the latter occurs. People with deeply repressed memories do not usually try’ to argue with someone who talks to them; they simply do not remember.
Displacement (choice B) is a transfer of emotion from one setting to another.
Reaction formation (choice C) is the unconscious adoption of behavior opposite to one’s true feelings and intentions.
Regression (choice D) is the adoption of behavior appropriate to an earlier stage of development.
Repression (choice E) is the deeply subconscious suppression of traumatic events or thoughts.

Source: http://www.usmleworldwide.com/blog/?p=720

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