Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept reality or facts?

Denial is a defense mechanism characterized by an individual’s refusal to accept reality or facts. This mechanism allows a person to protect themselves from feelings of anxiety or pain that arise from acknowledging distressing truths about their situation. For instance, a person diagnosed with a serious illness might refuse to accept their diagnosis, convincing themselves that the medical professional has made a mistake. By engaging in denial, the individual can maintain a sense of normalcy and control, albeit in an unhealthy way.

Other defense mechanisms, like regression, involve reverting to an earlier developmental stage in response to stress; projection entails attributing one’s own undesirable feelings or thoughts to someone else; and displacement involves transferring strong emotions from one object or person to another less threatening one. While these mechanisms serve to protect the individual, denial specifically centers on the outright refusal to acknowledge reality, which is what makes it the correct answer in this context.