According to the psychodynamic perspective on personality, why might a narrator insist on his own sanity despite exhibiting irrational or disturbed behavior?

• A. He is using defense mechanisms such as denial to protect his ego from acknowledging his psychological conflicts.
• B. He is consciously aware of all his motives and behaviors, and therefore accurately assesses his mental state.
• C. He is motivated solely by external rewards and punishments, which determine his sense of sanity.
• D. He lacks any unconscious influences on his personality, so his self-perception is always reliable.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the psychodynamic perspective on personality, which emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and defense mechanisms in shaping behavior and self-perception.
2. Recognize that defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies used by the ego to reduce anxiety caused by conflicts between the id, ego, and superego.
3. Identify denial as a specific defense mechanism where a person refuses to accept reality or facts, thereby protecting the ego from psychological distress.
4. Apply this concept to the narrator's insistence on his own sanity despite irrational behavior, suggesting that denial helps him avoid acknowledging his internal psychological conflicts.
5. Conclude that the narrator's behavior is best explained by the use of defense mechanisms like denial, rather than conscious awareness or external motivations.