Which defense mechanism involves apologizing excessively to make amends and reduce guilt?

Which defense mechanism involves apologizing excessively to make amends and reduce guilt?

• A. Undoing
• B. Repression
• C. Denial
• D. Reaction Formation

Answer: (A)

Undoing is a defense mechanism in which a person tries to cancel out guilt or anxiety by performing a compensatory act that symbolically reverses the offense. Apologizing excessively to make amends is a classic example: the person hopes that repeated apologies will neutralize the perceived wrong and soothe the associated guilt. This behavior isn’t about actually changing the situation or addressing the underlying issue; it’s about alleviating internal distress by “undoing” the harm through outward acts of remorse. Repression would involve pushing the distressing thoughts out of conscious awareness, denial would mean refusing to accept the reality of the situation, and reaction formation would express the opposite of what one truly feels rather than attempting to balance guilt with apologies.

Undoing is a defense mechanism in which a person tries to cancel out guilt or anxiety by performing a compensatory act that symbolically reverses the offense. Apologizing excessively to make amends is a classic example: the person hopes that repeated apologies will neutralize the perceived wrong and soothe the associated guilt. This behavior isn’t about actually changing the situation or addressing the underlying issue; it’s about alleviating internal distress by “undoing” the harm through outward acts of remorse.

Repression would involve pushing the distressing thoughts out of conscious awareness, denial would mean refusing to accept the reality of the situation, and reaction formation would express the opposite of what one truly feels rather than attempting to balance guilt with apologies.