Altruism is the Mature Defense Mechanism
Among the options provided, altruism is the only mature defense mechanism. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's hierarchy of defense mechanisms explicitly categorizes altruism within the "neurotic style" alongside other relatively adaptive defenses, while the remaining options represent significantly more primitive mechanisms 1.
Defense Mechanism Classification
The evidence-based hierarchy organizes defenses into distinct categories based on their psychological maturity and adaptiveness 1:
Normal (Mature) Defenses
- Humor - Taking distance to see situations from different perspectives while mastering them 1
- Anticipation - Thinking ahead to prepare for effective handling of situations 1
- Suppression - Consciously postponing attention to conflicts for a better moment 1
- Sublimation - Channeling conflicts into socially acceptable and productive outlets 1
Neurotic Defenses (Intermediate Maturity)
- Altruism - While not at the highest "normal" level, altruism represents a neurotic-level defense that is considerably more adaptive than primitive mechanisms 1, 2
- Undoing - Attempting to reverse or negate an action or thought 1
Immature/Borderline Defenses (Maladaptive)
- Denial - Closing off awareness of reality 1
- Projection - Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts to others 1
- Regression - Reverting to earlier developmental patterns 1
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
Denial, projection, regression, and undoing all represent less mature defense mechanisms:
- Denial is classified as a borderline-level defense involving complete closure to reality 1
- Projection is categorized as a neurotic defense involving externalization of internal conflicts 1
- Regression represents a neurotic defense characterized by backward developmental movement 1
- Undoing is a neurotic-level defense involving attempts to reverse actions or thoughts 1
Clinical Significance
Research demonstrates that mature defenses correlate with better psychological outcomes 2, 3:
- Mature defenses (sublimation, humor, anticipation, suppression) are associated with adaptive coping strategies and problem-solving 4, 2
- Immature defenses correlate with maladaptive coping and increased symptomatology 4, 2
- The maturity of defense mechanisms is independent of social class, education, and IQ, making it a valid metric for psychological health 3
In psychodynamic therapy, the goal is to help patients move from primitive, maladaptive defenses toward more mature mechanisms 1. While altruism is not at the highest "normal" tier, it represents a significantly more adaptive response than the other options provided, which all fall into neurotic or borderline categories 1.