Which defense mechanism is demonstrated by forgetting an abusive event from childhood, so it is no longer accessible to consciousness?

• A. Denial
• B. Displacement
• C. Repression
• D. Reaction formation

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is an unconscious defense mechanism that keeps distressing memories out of awareness. This scenario fits repression, which pushes painful experiences from childhood into the unconscious so they are not accessible to conscious recall. It helps explain why someone might function without conscious memory of the abuse yet still experience anxiety, avoidance, or other symptoms.

Denial would involve outright refusing to accept that the event occurred, not simply losing access to the memory. Displacement means directing feelings from the original source to a safer surrogate target, not erasing the memory itself. Reaction formation is about behaving in a way that is the opposite of what one truly feels, which isn’t about memory accessibility. Repression specifically accounts for the memory being unavailable to conscious recall while potentially influencing behavior or symptoms.