Adjustment and Mental Health: Frustration, Conflict and Defence Mechanisms
This page covers the meaning of adjustment and maladjustment, the types of frustration and conflict, direct methods of adjustment, every major defence mechanism with examples, and the teacher's role in students' mental health. REET 2024 carried 6 questions on this topic, most of them about identifying defence mechanisms.
- 6 questions in REET 2024
- Teacher-training level
- 8 min read
How REET asks this topic
5 of REET 2024's 6 questions were about identifying adjustment mechanisms (defence mechanisms): adopting someone else's traits = identification, pushing the blame for frustration outward = extrapunitive, avoiding anxiety through substances = adjustment through withdrawal, giving emotions an outlet = catharsis, and matching descriptions to mechanisms like negativism and aggression. One question was on the core meaning of adjustment itself — harmony between the self and the environment. In short, expect 'read the situation, name the mechanism' far more than bare definitions.
The meaning of adjustment
Adjustment is the continuous process by which a person balances their own needs against the demands of the environment. Its central aim is harmony between the self and the environment — neither only satisfying biological needs, nor ignoring social demands, nor fulfilling every wish without restraint.
Adjustment happens in two ways: the person changes themselves (like learning the rules of a new school), or they change the situation (like creating a quiet study corner). When a person can't strike this balance, maladjustment results, showing up as constant anxiety, irritability, lying, skipping class, withdrawing from others, aggressive behaviour, or a sudden drop in academic performance.
A well-adjusted child: accepts their abilities and limitations, keeps their emotions in control, builds good relationships with others, tolerates failure and tries again, and sets realistic goals.
Causes of maladjustment: frustration, conflict, stress
| Concept | Meaning | Example / type |
|---|---|---|
| Frustration | A state of dissatisfaction that arises when something blocks the path to a goal | The obstacle can be external (poverty, a rule) or internal (lower ability, a physical limitation) |
| Conflict | A pull between two or more opposing wishes or goals | Kurt Lewin's three types — see below |
| Approach–approach | Choosing between two attractive goals | Wanting to go to the fair, but also wanting to watch the cricket match — liking both |
| Avoidance–avoidance | Choosing between two unpleasant options | Do the homework, or take the punishment |
| Approach–avoidance | A single goal that is both attractive and unpleasant at once | Wanting to eat sweets, but fearing a toothache |
| Stress and anxiety | Physical and mental unease from a sense of threat or pressure | Fear of exams, comparison, excessive expectations |
Reaction to frustration (Rosenzweig) and direct methods of adjustment
| Type | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Extrapunitive | Placing the blame for frustration on an outside person/object | "The paper itself was set wrong", "The teacher is biased" |
| Intropunitive | Taking the blame onto oneself, self-criticism | "I'm just useless" |
| Impunitive | Not blaming anyone, accepting the situation | "These things happen, I'll do better next time" |
| Direct method: removing the obstacle / increasing effort | Facing the problem head-on | Practising harder after failing |
| Direct method: finding another path | Same goal, new route | If tuition isn't available, using the library and friends' help instead |
| Direct method: substituting the goal | A nearer goal in place of an unreachable one | Choosing nursing/pharmacy if becoming a doctor isn't possible |
| Direct method: analysis and decision-making | Weighing options rationally before choosing | Picking between two subjects based on interest and ability |
Direct methods are conscious and problem-focused; defence mechanisms are indirect, usually unconscious, and give only immediate relief. This classification of frustration-reactions is Saul Rosenzweig's.[Source 2]
Defence mechanisms / adjustment mechanisms
| Mechanism | Meaning | Example to spot it by |
|---|---|---|
| Repression | Pushing a painful wish or memory into the unconscious | Not being able to recall an accident at all |
| Rationalisation | A reasonable-sounding excuse for failure | 'Sour grapes' — not getting selected, then saying 'that job wasn't good anyway' |
| Projection | Attributing one's own faults or feelings to others | A student who cheats says 'everyone cheats' |
| Identification | Adopting the traits or behaviour of someone else (a role model) | A child starts talking and acting like their favourite teacher or sportsperson |
| Compensation | Making up for a weakness in one area through excellence in another | A weak student excelling at sport instead |
| Sublimation | Redirecting an unacceptable impulse into a socially approved channel | An aggressive child channels their energy into boxing or kabaddi |
| Regression | Behaving like an earlier stage of development under stress | An older child starts sucking their thumb again after a younger sibling is born |
| Displacement | Venting anger on a weaker or safer target | Getting scolded, then coming home and taking it out on a younger sibling |
| Reaction formation | Showing behaviour that's the exact opposite of the real feeling | Feeling envy inside, but showering excessive praise outwardly |
| Fantasy | Fulfilling an unmet wish in imagination | Daydreaming of being a hero while sitting in class |
| Withdrawal / Escape | Running away from a difficult situation; avoiding anxiety through substances etc. | Staying away from school, turning to alcohol or drugs |
| Adjustment through illness | Faking illness, or genuine physical symptoms from stress | A stomach ache on exam day |
| Aggression | Releasing frustration through fighting, breaking things, or abuse | Getting into a fight with an opponent after losing |
| Negativism | An irrational and forceful opposition to others' suggestions, to attract attention | Doing the opposite of every instruction |
Ways of handling emotions are also asked about: Catharsis — giving an instinctual or emotional force an outlet for expression, such as the freedom to mix openly, play, or talk; Redirection — channelling an emotion into a different activity.
Mental health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables a person to cope with the stresses of life, realise their own abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community. In other words, mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness.
Signs of a mentally healthy person: self-acceptance, emotional balance, facing reality, social adjustment, satisfaction in work, the ability to make decisions, and the strength to tolerate failure. Adjustment and mental health are closely linked — a well-adjusted person is usually mentally healthy too.
School factors that affect students' mental health: corporal punishment and humiliation, comparison with others, a heavy academic load, fear of exams, discrimination, and a lack of sport and creative activities. NCF 2005 also emphasises reducing this burden and stress and making learning joyful. During COVID-19, the Ministry of Education launched the 'Manodarpan' initiative to give students psychosocial support.
Using this in the classroom
| Classroom situation | Likely mechanism / cause | What the teacher should do |
|---|---|---|
| A Class 4 child keeps saying 'my teacher always marks me wrong' | Extrapunitive reaction / projection | Show the marking criteria (rubric), and sit with them to go through their mistakes. |
| A quarrelsome, very energetic child | Needs an outlet for sublimation | Give them an outlet through sport, drama, or a responsibility like class monitor to channel that energy positively. |
| Repeated headaches on exam day | Adjustment through illness / exam anxiety | Use smaller, lower-pressure assessments, talk to parents, and stop comparisons. |
| A new admission who sits alone and quiet | Withdrawal | Assign a 'buddy', and give them a small role in group work. |
| Weak academically but very good at drawing | Compensation | Praise their drawing, and use it as a bridge to teach the subject (e.g., picture-stories). |
| Does the opposite of every instruction in class | Negativism — seeking attention | Focus on positive behaviour, avoid public confrontation, and give them choices so they feel involved in decisions. |
Memory trick / exam tip
Remember by the direction of the blame: pushed outward → extrapunitive; kept inside (on oneself) → intropunitive; placed on no one → impunitive. And a quick formula for the mechanisms: 'blamed on someone else = projection, became like someone else = identification, made up for it elsewhere = compensation, channelled into a socially approved outlet = sublimation, made an excuse = rationalisation.'
Questions asked in REET 2024 (solved)
Question 3
What is the term for adopting someone else’s behavior or personality traits as one’s own ?
- Aउदात्तीकरण
- Bपहचान
- Cप्रक्षेपण
- Dक्षतिपूर्ति
Explanation
पहचान या तादात्मीकरण (Identification) एक रक्षा युक्ति है जिसमें व्यक्ति किसी अन्य (जैसे आदर्श व्यक्ति) के व्यवहार या व्यक्तित्व लक्षणों को अपना मान कर अपना लेता है। प्रक्षेपण (Projection) में व्यक्ति अपने दोष दूसरों पर डालता है, उदात्तीकरण (Sublimation) में दमित इच्छाओं को सामाजिक रूप से स्वीकार्य दिशा दी जाती है और क्षतिपूर्ति (Compensation) में एक कमी को दूसरे क्षेत्र में सफलता से पूरा किया जाता है।
Question 8
What type of adjustment mechanism attributes frustration to external sources ?
- Aबहिर्दण्डात्मक
- Bअंत:दण्डात्मक
- Cप्रतिपूरक
- Dउदात्तीकरण
Explanation
रोजेनज़्वाइग (Rosenzweig) के अनुसार हताशा की प्रतिक्रिया में जब व्यक्ति दोष बाहरी व्यक्तियों या परिस्थितियों पर डालता है तो उसे बहिर्दण्डात्मक (Extrapunitive) प्रतिक्रिया कहते हैं। जब व्यक्ति स्वयं को दोष देता है तो वह अंत:दण्डात्मक (Intropunitive) प्रतिक्रिया है। अतः सही उत्तर बहिर्दण्डात्मक है।
Question 28
Which is the correct match of adjustment mechanism and its description ? I. Negativism a. An individual draws the attention of other persons and develops strong and irrational resistance in accepting suggestion of others II. Aggression b. An individual aggressively attributes the frustration to external persons or things III. Projection c. Attributing to and observing in others one’s own impulses and traits IV. Rationalization d. An individual justifies his beliefs and actions by giving reasons other than those which activated or motivated him Select from the code given below : I II III IV
- Aa b c d
- Bc b a d
- Cb c d a
- Dc d a b
Explanation
नकारात्मकता में व्यक्ति ध्यान आकर्षित करने हेतु दूसरों के सुझावों का अतार्किक विरोध करता है (a); आक्रामकता में वह अपनी कुंठा का दोष आक्रामक रूप से बाहरी व्यक्तियों/वस्तुओं पर डालता है (b); प्रक्षेपण में अपने ही आवेग व गुण दूसरों पर आरोपित करता है (c); युक्तिकरण (Rationalization) में वह अपने व्यवहार के वास्तविक कारणों के स्थान पर तर्कसंगत लगने वाले कारण देता है (d)। अतः सही मिलान a b c d (विकल्प A) है।
Question 29
What is called “to give opportunity to the human basic instinctive or emotional power to be expressed eg. freedom of interaction to each other” ?
- Aअतिरेचन
- Bशोधन
- Cमार्गान्तरीकरण
- Dविरोध या प्रतिपक्ष भावना
Explanation
मूल प्रवृत्तियों या दबे हुए संवेगों को सुरक्षित रूप से अभिव्यक्त होने का अवसर देना, जिससे मन का भार हल्का हो जाए, अतिरेचन या रेचन (Catharsis) कहलाता है। शोधन/उदात्तीकरण (Sublimation) में मूल प्रवृत्ति को समाज-स्वीकृत दिशा में मोड़ा जाता है और मार्गान्तरीकरण (Redirection) में ऊर्जा को दूसरे लक्ष्य की ओर ले जाया जाता है।
Question 11
What does the process of adjustment primarily aim to achieve ?
- Aस्व और पर्यावरण के बीच सामंजस्य स्थापित करना
- Bकेवल जैविक आवश्यकताओं को पूरा करना
- Cसामाजिक मांगों की अनदेखी करना
- Dबिना किसी प्रतिबंध के सभी इच्छाओं को पूरा करना
Explanation
समायोजन (Adjustment) वह प्रक्रिया है जिसके द्वारा व्यक्ति अपनी आवश्यकताओं और पर्यावरण की माँगों के बीच संतुलन व सामंजस्य स्थापित करता है। केवल जैविक आवश्यकताएँ पूरी करना, सामाजिक माँगों की अनदेखी या बिना प्रतिबंध इच्छाएँ पूरी करना कुसमायोजन की ओर ले जाते हैं।
Question 22
Which adjustment mechanism involves using substances like alcohol or drugs to escape anxiety ?
- Aपरिहार तंत्र
- Bसंज्ञानात्मक पुनर्गठन
- Cपलायन द्वारा समायोजन
- Dबीमारी द्वारा समायोजन
Explanation
पलायन द्वारा समायोजन (Adjustment by escape) में व्यक्ति समस्या या दुश्चिंता का सामना करने के बजाय उससे भागने का प्रयास करता है, जैसे शराब या नशीले पदार्थों का सेवन करना। बीमारी द्वारा समायोजन में व्यक्ति बीमारी का सहारा लेता है, जबकि संज्ञानात्मक पुनर्गठन एक स्वस्थ रणनीति है।
Practice questions
Question 1
After scoring low, a student says, "The paper was out of syllabus anyway." This is an example of which defence mechanism?
- Aयुक्तिकरण
- Bतादात्म्य
- Cप्रतिगमन
- Dउदात्तीकरण
Explanation
Making a reasonable-sounding excuse for failure — like blaming the question paper — is rationalisation. Here, the student is avoiding acknowledging their own lack of preparation.
Question 2
Conflict arising from having to choose between two unpleasant options is
- Aउपागम–उपागम
- Bपरिहार–परिहार
- Cउपागम–परिहार
- Dदोहरा उपागम
Explanation
When someone is forced to choose between two unpleasant options (like doing homework or facing punishment), it's an avoidance–avoidance conflict. An approach–approach conflict involves two attractive options.
Question 3
After his younger sister is born, 7-year-old Rahul again starts baby-talk and bed-wetting. This is
- Aप्रक्षेपण
- Bप्रतिगमन
- Cक्षतिपूर्ति
- Dविस्थापन
Explanation
Behaving like an earlier stage of development under stress is regression. The child does this to seek attention and a sense of security.
Question 4
According to Rosenzweig, the reaction of a person who blames no one when frustrated is
- Aबहिर्दण्डात्मक
- Bअंतःदण्डात्मक
- Cअदण्डात्मक
- Dआक्रामक
Explanation
Placing the blame outward is extrapunitive, taking it onto oneself is intropunitive, and blaming no one at all is impunitive, in Rosenzweig's classification.
Question 5
After being scolded by his father, Sumit vents his anger on his younger brother. Which mechanism is this?
- Aविस्थापन
- Bदमन
- Cतादात्म्य
- Dप्रतिक्रिया निर्माण
Explanation
Directing an emotion at a safer or weaker target instead of its real source is displacement.
Question 6
According to WHO, which statement about mental health is correct?
- Aयह केवल मानसिक रोग का न होना है
- Bयह कल्याण की वह अवस्था है जिसमें व्यक्ति जीवन के तनावों का सामना कर पाता है
- Cयह केवल बुद्धि पर निर्भर है
- Dयह केवल वयस्कों से संबंधित है
Explanation
WHO defines mental health as a state of well-being that enables a person to cope with the stresses of life, recognise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.
Question 7
A child fights a lot in class. The teacher makes him captain of the kabaddi team and his behaviour improves. Which process did the teacher use?
- Aदमन
- Bउदात्तीकरण
- Cप्रक्षेपण
- Dपलायन
Explanation
Directing unacceptable aggressive energy into a socially approved activity (sport) is sublimation. Repression involves suppressing the feeling, which isn't a healthy solution.
Question 8
Showing excessive praise for a classmate in public while feeling jealous inside is
- Aक्षतिपूर्ति
- Bप्रतिक्रिया निर्माण
- Cयुक्तिकरण
- Dदिवास्वप्न
Explanation
Displaying behaviour that is the exact opposite of one's true feeling is reaction formation.
Question 9
Which of the following is a direct method of adjustment?
- Aदिवास्वप्न
- Bबाधा को दूर करने के लिए प्रयास बढ़ाना
- Cप्रक्षेपण
- Dदमन
Explanation
Direct methods are conscious and problem-focused, such as increasing effort or finding a new path. Daydreaming, projection and repression are all indirect defence mechanisms.
Question 10
A student complains of stomach ache every exam morning but is fine on holidays. The most appropriate step for the teacher is
- Aउसे बहानेबाज़ कहकर सबके सामने डाँटना
- Bपरीक्षा दुश्चिंता के कारण समझकर अभिभावक से बात करना और कम दबाव वाले आकलन अपनाना
- Cउसे परीक्षा से स्थायी छूट देना
- Dदूसरे बच्चों से उसकी तुलना करना
Explanation
This points to adjustment through illness and exam anxiety. Scolding or comparison increases anxiety, while understanding the cause and lowering pressure supports healthy adjustment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main goal of adjustment?+
Establishing harmony between the self (one's own needs) and the environment (social and physical demands) — this was exactly the answer tested in REET 2024.
What's the difference between projection and identification?+
In projection, a person attributes their own faults to others, whereas in identification, they adopt someone else's traits or behaviour as their own.
What's the difference between sublimation and compensation?+
In sublimation, an unacceptable impulse is given a socially approved outlet (aggression → sport); in compensation, a weakness in one area is made up for through success in another.
Who described the types of conflict?+
Kurt Lewin described three main types of conflict — approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance and approach-avoidance.
How many questions come from adjustment in REET?+
REET 2024's question papers carried 6 questions from this topic, 5 of which were on defence mechanisms and adjustment mechanisms.
Read next
Official Sources
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English pilot page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked