2
AssignmentMultiple Choice

Effects of Illness and Drug Abuse

Question 2 • TX-Health Science

Which of the following is an example of intellectualization?

Answer
A
A child throws away a toy because he is feeling unloved.
B
A teenager smokes a cigarette to avoid worrying about a test score.
C
An adolescent says he is learning everything he can about his leukemia so he can figure out how to cure it.
D
A young woman doesn’t keep medical appointments because she “forgets”.

Explanation

Intellectualization is a defense mechanism in which someone focuses on facts, analysis, or abstract ideas to avoid confronting difficult feelings. The adolescent concentrates on learning about leukemia and finding a cure, which may help him avoid the fear and sadness the illness brings. That makes “learning everything” the example of intellectualization.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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