Final answer:
The defense mechanism when a person refuses to recognize a painful memory or feeling is called repression, which protects the individual by keeping intense emotions from conscious awareness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The defense mechanism where a person refuses to recognize a painful memory or feeling is known as repression. This occurs when anxiety-causing memories are blocked from our consciousness, similar to turning up the radio to avoid hearing the strange noise of a car. The repressed memory, while removed from our conscious awareness, may still manifest in symptoms in other areas. This mechanism serves as a protective function by keeping overwhelming emotions at bay.
Other defense mechanisms include reaction formation, where a person behaves in a way that is directly opposite to their true feelings, regression, acting younger than one's actual age in response to stress, and projection, attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to someone else. Mechanisms like rationalization, displacement, and sublimation also help individuals cope with internal conflicts and stress.