Final answer:
The correct answer is option a) ego-defense mechanisms, are unconscious processes that shield individuals from anxiety by distorting reality, such as repression, reaction formation, and projection.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The mental processes that deny, distort, or otherwise block out sources of threat and anxiety are known as ego-defense mechanisms.
- Sigmund Freud introduced the idea of the defense mechanisms and believed that they are unconsciously deployed by the ego to protect an individual from anxiety and to maintain psychological equilibrium.
- Notable examples include repression, which blocks anxiety-causing memories from consciousness; reaction formation, where people act opposite to their impulses; and projection, where individuals attribute their own unacceptable desires to others.