More in Theories. The term compensation refers to a type of defense mechanism in which people overachieve in one area to compensate for failures in another. For example, individuals with poor family lives may direct their energy into excelling above and beyond what is required at work.
The term compensation refers to a type of defense mechanism in which people overachieve in one area to compensate for failures in another. For example, individuals with poor family lives may direct their energy into excelling above and beyond what is required at work. This psychological strategy allows people...
What Are Defense Mechanisms? What Is Compensation? The term compensation refers to a type of defense mechanism in which people overachieve in one area to compensate for failures in another. For example, individuals with poor family lives may direct their energy into excelling above and beyond what is required at work.
Another example is that people who are narcissistic may overcompensate when they experience low self-esteem and jealousy by seeking out power and attention. 2 Adler suggested that compensation was a healthy defense mechanism that people utilize to cope with feelings of inferiority.
Compensation can manifest itself in a few different ways. Overcompensation occurs when people overachieve in one area to make up for shortcomings in another aspect of life. 2
The term compensation refers to a type of defense mechanism in which people overachieve in one area to compensate for failures in another. For example, individuals with poor family lives may direct their energy into excelling above and beyond what is required at work. This psychological strategy allows people to disguise inadequacies, frustrations, ...
This psychological strategy allows people to disguise inadequacies, frustrations, stresses, or urges by directing energy toward excelling or achieving in other areas. 1
If you know that you have poor public speaking skills, you might try to compensate by excelling in your written communications at work.
A young man feels that he is a poor athlete and never gets picked for teams during his physical education class. He overcompensates by becoming deeply engaged in other school activities, including the drama club and the school newspaper. A student feels inferior during math class and undercompensates by becoming overly dependent upon ...
For example, imagine that a young boy experiences feelings of inferiority because he cannot make as many baskets as his peers do when they are playing basketball.
People who are narcissistic may overcompensate when they experience low self-esteem and jealousy by seeking out power and attention. 2