Rohan failed an important exam. Instead of accepting that he didn't prepare well, he insists that the teacher was biased and the exam was unfair. Which defence mechanism is Rohan using ?
Rohan failed an important exam. Instead of accepting that he didn't prepare well, he insists that the teacher was biased and the exam was unfair. Which defence mechanism is Rohan using ?
Options
Official answer
Correct option: (C) Rationalization.
Rohan is protecting his self-esteem by inventing a logical-sounding but untrue excuse (teacher bias, unfair exam) instead of accepting the real reason for his failure (lack of preparation) — this is the defence mechanism of rationalization.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for correctly marking option (C) Rationalization.
Hint
The keyword is 'insists' on a false but logical-sounding reason instead of the true cause — that is a classic self-justifying defence mechanism.
Quick oral answer
Rohan is using rationalization — creating a logical-sounding but false excuse (unfair exam, biased teacher) to avoid facing the real reason for his failure, which is lack of preparation.
Common mistakes
- 1.Confusing rationalization (justifying with a false but logical reason) with denial (refusing to accept the fact itself).
- 2.Assuming blaming someone else automatically means projection, without checking whether an own fault is being attributed to the other person.
Analysis and explanation
Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies the ego uses to reduce anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or unpleasant realities.
Why (C) is correct
- Rationalization involves justifying one's failure or unacceptable behaviour with a plausible but false explanation, protecting self-esteem from the real, less flattering cause.
- Rohan does exactly this — he substitutes 'the exam was unfair' for the true reason, 'I didn't prepare well.'
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Repression is the unconscious exclusion of a painful thought or memory from awareness altogether, not the construction of an alternate explanation.
- (B) Projection is attributing one's own unacceptable feelings or faults to someone else (e.g., accusing the teacher of the very fault Rohan has, dishonesty), not simply blaming an external circumstance.
- (D) Denial is refusing to accept an unpleasant reality altogether (e.g., insisting 'I did not fail'), whereas Rohan accepts he failed but reinterprets the cause.
Interesting facts
The everyday phrase 'sour grapes', from Aesop's fable where a fox calls grapes it cannot reach 'probably sour', is the classic popular illustration of rationalization.
Anna Freud, Sigmund Freud's daughter, systematically catalogued defence mechanisms including rationalization in her 1936 work 'The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence'.
Question details
Q3 of 33 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Psychology
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- Self and Personality
- Topic
- Freud's Defence Mechanisms — Rationalization
- Bloom's level
- apply
- Syllabus topic
- Unit 2: Self and Personality — Psychodynamic Approach (Defence Mechanisms)
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
What is rationalization as a defence mechanism?
Rationalization is an ego defence mechanism where a person justifies unacceptable behaviour, feelings, or failure using a logical-sounding but false explanation, in order to protect self-esteem.
How is rationalization different from denial?
In denial, the person refuses to accept the unpleasant fact itself; in rationalization, the person accepts the fact but replaces the real cause with a more acceptable false one.