Isolation, also called isolation of affect, is a defense mechanism in which a person mentally separates a threatening or unpleasant thought or memory from the emotion normally attached to it. Sigmund Freud described the process as inserting a gap between a thought and other related thoughts so that it does not connect associatively with them. By keeping the disturbing idea intact but disconnected from its emotional charge, a person can retain a difficult memory while remaining largely insulated from the distress it would otherwise cause.
Facts
Core ClaimA defence mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, first proposed by Sigmund Freud, related to but distinct from repression. 1 Classification
Type of Phenomenon Connections
Associated With
Described the process of isolation as inserting a gap between a thought and the emotion normally associated with it.
Sources
1. Isolation (psychology), Wikipedia
Lead, first two sentences
Isolation (German: Isolierung) is a defence mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, first proposed by Sigmund Freud. While related to repression, the concept distinguishes itself in several ways.
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
Isolation (German: Isolierung) is a defence mechanism in psychoanalytic theory, first proposed by Sigmund Freud.
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