In the context of stress and coping, which term refers to protecting a person from the negative consequences of their chosen behaviors?

• A. Resilience
• B. Denial
• C. Defense mechanism
• D. Enabling

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms related to stress and coping. 'Resilience' refers to the ability to recover from stress, 'Denial' is a defense mechanism where a person refuses to accept reality, and 'Defense mechanism' is a broader category of unconscious psychological strategies used to protect oneself from anxiety or distress.
2. Step 2: Recognize that the question asks for a term that specifically means protecting a person from the negative consequences of their chosen behaviors, which implies an external support or allowance rather than an internal psychological process.
3. Step 3: Identify that 'Enabling' is a term used in psychology to describe behaviors by others that protect a person from the natural consequences of their actions, often preventing them from facing the negative outcomes and thus potentially perpetuating harmful behavior.
4. Step 4: Differentiate 'Enabling' from the other options by noting that it involves external intervention or allowance, whereas the other terms are internal psychological processes or traits.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the term 'Enabling' best fits the description of protecting a person from the negative consequences of their chosen behaviors.