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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences pp 1–5Cite as

Acting Out (Defense Mechanism)

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Synonyms

Impulsive behavior

Definition

Acting out is a defense mechanism used when one is unable to manage a conflicted mental content by means of thought and by putting it into words. As some individuals have the tendency to express themselves by acting rather than by verbalizing their inner state, the term acting out has ended up referring to a wide range of behaviors directed either at the self or at others in which the discharge by means of action occurs without consideration of its negative consequences. It is often used as a synonym for impulsivity in the context of criminal, perverse, substance abuse, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors.

Introduction

Freud first mentions acting out when one of his first hysterical patients suddenly interrupted treatment, thus acting out an unconscious fantasy instead of recalling a significant aspect of her past. He returned to the concept more extensively in 1914 in the essay “Remembering, repeating and working through” (Freud 1914...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Società Psicoanalitica Italiana (Firenze, Italy), International Psychoanalytical Association, London, UK

    Maria Ponsi

Authors
  1. Maria Ponsi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Ponsi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia

    Simon Boag

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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Ponsi, M. (2017). Acting Out (Defense Mechanism). In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1356-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1356-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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