Which defense mechanism involves excessively apologizing or making amends to reduce guilt?

Which defense mechanism involves excessively apologizing or making amends to reduce guilt?

• A. Repression
• B. Undoing
• C. Regression
• D. Denial

Answer: (B)

When guilt drives someone to try to counteract their feeling, they may perform a compensatory action to “undo” the harm. That’s undoing. The behavior of excessively apologizing or making amends is a classic example: the person hopes that by overdoing the corrective act, the inner guilt will diminish and the anxiety will pass. This differs from repression, which would push the guilt-inducing thought out of awareness; regression, which would involve returning to earlier, childlike behaviors; and denial, which would involve refusing to acknowledge the wrongdoing or its consequences. Undoing is specifically about counterbalancing the guilt through a compensatory action, such as apologizing or trying to make things right.

When guilt drives someone to try to counteract their feeling, they may perform a compensatory action to “undo” the harm. That’s undoing. The behavior of excessively apologizing or making amends is a classic example: the person hopes that by overdoing the corrective act, the inner guilt will diminish and the anxiety will pass. This differs from repression, which would push the guilt-inducing thought out of awareness; regression, which would involve returning to earlier, childlike behaviors; and denial, which would involve refusing to acknowledge the wrongdoing or its consequences. Undoing is specifically about counterbalancing the guilt through a compensatory action, such as apologizing or trying to make things right.