Self deception. In the psychoanalytic model, rationalization is a psychic defense mechanism in which one’s true motives or behaviors that are threatening to the psyche are reinterpreted to be other motives that are more acceptable. PDD examiners routinely watch for indications of rationalization during the pretest interview to prevent a false negative through faulty test questions that empower the self-deceit. No research has evaluated the effects of rationalization on PDD efficiency.
