Mental Mechanisms | Uses and Importance | Attitudes | Change in attitude | Effects of Attitude | Positive attitude for Nurse | Mock Test | Staff Nurse | Guides Academy

Mental mechanisms – uses and importance. Attitudes- meaning, development, changes in attitude, effects of attitude on behaviour, importance of positive attitude for nurse.

Mental mechanisms (or defense mechanisms) are unconscious psychological strategies used to cope with anxiety, stress, and internal conflicts. Common mechanisms include denial, repression, projection, and rationalization. They help protect mental well-being, reduce emotional discomfort, and maintain self-esteem, making them crucial in everyday life and especially important in stressful professions like nursing.

Attitudes are learned tendencies to respond positively or negatively toward objects, people, or situations. They develop through experiences, social interactions, and education. Attitudes can change over time through persuasion, learning, or new experiences.

Effects of attitude on behaviour are significant—positive attitudes lead to constructive actions, while negative ones may result in avoidance or hostility. For nurses, maintaining a positive attitude is essential for effective patient care, communication, teamwork, and emotional resilience, ultimately improving both patient outcomes and personal job satisfaction.

Time: 15:00

What is the primary psychological function of using mental defense mechanisms?

[a] To solve external, real-world problems.

[b] To develop a more positive attitude.

[c] To reduce anxiety and protect the ego from distressing thoughts or feelings.

[d] To consciously plan future behaviors and actions.

A patient diagnosed with terminal cancer insists, "The lab results must be wrong, I feel perfectly fine." This is a classic example of which defense mechanism?

[a] Projection

[b] Denial

[c] Sublimation

[d] Rationalization

Which statement best defines an "attitude"?

[a] A temporary mood or feeling.

[b] An inherited personality trait.

[c] A person's general level of intelligence.

[d] A learned predisposition to respond to an object or idea in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way.

A nursing student who fails a crucial exam blames the instructor for being "unfair" rather than acknowledging their own lack of preparation. This is an example of:

[a] Rationalization

[b] Regression

[c] Displacement

[d] Compensation

The most significant reason for a nurse to cultivate a positive attitude is that it:

[a] Guarantees promotions and pay raises.

[b] Directly enhances therapeutic relationships and improves patient outcomes.

[c] Makes the nurse immune to workplace stress.

[d] Is required by hospital administration.

After being reprimanded by a physician, a nurse is curt and rude to a nursing assistant. This is an example of which mental mechanism?

[a] Projection

[b] Sublimation

[c] Displacement

[d] Reaction Formation

A nurse develops a positive attitude towards working with elderly patients after a particularly rewarding experience on a geriatric ward. This demonstrates that attitudes are primarily formed through:

[a] Genetic inheritance

[b] Personal experience and social learning

[c] Unconscious defense mechanisms

[d] A fixed biological process

Which defense mechanism involves channeling unacceptable aggressive or sexual drives into socially acceptable activities, like competitive sports or art?

[a] Repression

[b] Denial

[c] Sublimation

[d] Projection

A nurse's belief that "all patients deserve compassionate care" represents which component of their attitude?

[a] Behavioral

[b] Affective (Emotional)

[c] Cognitive (Belief)

[d] Situational

A patient who is unconsciously angry at their spouse for their illness is overly kind and attentive to them. This behavior illustrates:

[a] Reaction Formation

[b] Displacement

[c] Rationalization

[d] Regression

A nurse's consistently negative attitude toward patients with substance abuse disorders can directly lead to:

[a] Better treatment outcomes for these patients.

[b] The patient changing their behavior immediately.

[c] Poor communication, patient mistrust, and substandard care.

[d] The nurse becoming an expert in addiction.

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to another person is known as:

[a] Projection

[b] Denial

[c] Sublimation

[d] Repression

An adult patient who is frightened by a diagnosis begins to suck their thumb and speak in a childlike manner. This is an example of:

[a] Compensation

[b] Rationalization

[c] Displacement

[d] Regression

The discomfort a person feels when their behavior is inconsistent with their attitudes or beliefs is called:

[a] Reaction formation

[b] Cognitive dissonance

[c] The fundamental attribution error

[d] Projection

Are mental defense mechanisms always a sign of a psychological problem?

[a] Yes, they are always maladaptive and indicate mental illness.

[b] Yes, but only in adults; they are normal in children.

[c] No, they can be adaptive and help people cope with temporary stress.

[d] No, they are conscious choices and have no bearing on mental health.

A nurse's professional demeanor, punctuality, and diligent follow-through on patient care tasks represent which component of their attitude towards nursing?

[a] Behavioral

[b] Affective

[c] Cognitive

[d] Subliminal

A student who is not athletically gifted becomes an outstanding scholar. This is an example of which defense mechanism?

[a] Denial

[b] Projection

[c] Compensation

[d] Displacement

Which factor is most likely to lead to a change in a person's long-held attitude?

[a] Ignoring all information that contradicts the attitude.

[b] Being told once that the attitude is wrong.

[c] A significant personal experience that challenges the attitude.

[d] The passage of time without any new input.

The unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and memories from the conscious mind is called:

[a] Rationalization

[b] Repression

[c] Regression

[d] Projection

For a nurse, maintaining a positive, professional attitude is crucial because it directly influences their:

[a] Physical strength.

[b] Resilience to burnout and ability to work effectively in a team.

[c] Ability to diagnose medical conditions.

[d] Knowledge of pharmacology.

A patient who smokes knows it is unhealthy but continues to do so. To reduce the mental discomfort, they might change their attitude to believe "the risks of smoking are exaggerated." This is a way of resolving:

[a] Repression

[b] A negative attitude

[c] A defense mechanism

[d] Cognitive dissonance

Why is it important for nurses to be self-aware of their own defense mechanisms?

[a] It is not important as these mechanisms are unconscious.

[b] To prevent these mechanisms from negatively interfering with patient care and professional relationships.

[c] So they can diagnose the defense mechanisms used by their patients.

[d] Because hospital policy requires a written list of them.

The feeling of warmth and empathy a nurse feels for their patients is the _____ component of their attitude.

[a] Behavioral

[b] Affective

[c] Cognitive

[d] Developmental

Which of the following is NOT a primary source of attitude development?

[a] Influence from parents and peers.

[b] Direct personal experience.

[c] Innate, genetically predetermined preferences.

[d] Mass media and cultural norms.

Understanding that a patient's hostile behavior might be a defense mechanism (like displacement of fear) allows a nurse to:

[a] Ignore the patient's emotional needs.

[b] Become hostile in return to assert authority.

[c] Immediately request a psychiatric evaluation for the patient.

[d] Respond with non-judgmental empathy and address the underlying emotion.