Which defense mechanism involves blocking awareness of unpleasant feelings?

Repression is a defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously blocks out awareness of unpleasant feelings or traumatic memories. This mechanism serves to protect the individual from anxiety or distress that may result from confronting these uncomfortable emotions or thoughts. For example, a person who has experienced a traumatic event may not consciously remember it, as the memory is repressed, allowing them to function without the overwhelming distress that recalling the event would bring.

In contrast, denial involves refusing to accept reality or facts, which can prevent someone from acknowledging an unpleasant situation but does not necessarily block awareness of feelings related to it. Displacement involves shifting emotional responses from one person or object to another less threatening target. Rationalization involves justifying irrational or unacceptable feelings or behaviors, giving them a seemingly logical context to make them more acceptable. Thus, repression uniquely focuses on blocking awareness of negative feelings entirely.