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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences pp 1–4Cite as

Idealization

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Synonyms and Related Defenses

To be differentiated from idolizing, narcissism, and splitting (see below). Common language phrases: “putting someone on a pedestal.”

Definition

Idealization is minor image-distorting defense whereby the individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by attributing exaggerated positive qualities to the self or others (APA 1994, p.756; Perry 1990, p.26).

Introduction

Defense mechanisms are automatic psychological processes that protect an individual from emotional conflicts or awareness of internal or external stressors. They affect individuals’ reactions to conflicts and stressors (DSM-IV, APA 1994). Defenses can be arranged hierarchically based on their usual level of adaptiveness. Within the hierarchy, defenses are grouped by level based on common functions. These levels include the psychotic (0), action (1), major image-distorting (2), disavowal and autistic-fantasy (3), minor image-distorting (4), neurotic (5b), hysterical...

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References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition (Appendix B, pp. 751–756). Washington, DC: Author.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Room 614, Education Building, 3700 McTavish Street, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 1Y2

    Isabelle Leduc-Cummings

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Cote Ste. Catherine Road, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3T 1E4

    Claire J. Starrs & J. Christopher Perry

  3. Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 1A1

    Claire J. Starrs & J. Christopher Perry

Authors
  1. Isabelle Leduc-Cummings
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  2. Claire J. Starrs
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  3. J. Christopher Perry
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isabelle Leduc-Cummings .

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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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Leduc-Cummings, I., Starrs, C.J., Perry, J.C. (2016). Idealization. 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_1385-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1385-1

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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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