According to Zastrow and Hessenauer (2019), our perceptions determine how we interpret the messages we receive during communication. There are
several factors that can affect our perception, including defense mechanisms, which are socio-psychological factors that can influence what we perceive
and, in many cases, derail effective communication.Identify the defense mechanism at work, explain your reasoning, then use Gibb’s analysis of defensive communication to explain how the defensiveness might be overcome.
A student tells their professor that it is the professor’s “fault” that they are on academic probation, which will “ruin their life.”