These types of behaviors operate on a level of unconsciousness, and because of that, realization of what is happening may not be subject to normal behavioral control or acknowledgement.  If and when a student realizes they are being defensive to a situation, they can then make a conscious note to no longer use that type of behavior, and thus cease the unnecessary and defensive adjustment, dealing with the issue appropriately.  When riding or coaching riding of a motorcycle it is important to realistically deal with hazards and personal limitations in an open and matter of fact way, as the denying of their existence can be deadly.  As a rider and a coach, it is helpful to recognize some common defense mechanisms include rationalization, flight, aggression, and resignation.

Rationalization

Students may not realize the true meaning of their behaviors and to some extent may try to rationalize their or other’s current understanding.  A great example of this is when discussing a motorcycle crash, and a rider explains that they or someone else had to “lay it down.”  This is a prime example of riding too fast or out of control for the conditions and not allowing for enough margin of safety to react to other factors around the motorcycle.  The defense mechanism “device” allows them to substitute the excuse for the actual reason of the crash, making the excuse plausible and acceptable to themselves but rarely to others.  Rationalization is a subconscious technique that can justify the behaviors it attempts to cover up which in some cases would be too difficult to admit as they are unacceptable to others as a behavior.  Because rationalization is subconscious, users almost completely believe their excuse making it seemingly justifiable which also makes it difficult to reveal openly without them becoming defensive to their argument.

Flight

Not like getting air or flying in a plane, flight is a defense mechanism to escape frustration by departing physically or mentally from a situation to avoid what the person may see as a no win situation.  To take flight by physically leaving is very common and is usually explained by developing symptoms or ailments that give the individual a good excuse for avoiding the frustration.  A good example here is a student that leaves after explaining that a clutch hand was injured or maybe a sore knee no longer allows holding up the motorcycle.

More frequently than a physical departure is a mental departure that may include daydreaming, which could be a satisfying way to alleviate not understanding a topic, but can also be dangerous in missing key safety instructions.  Even more disconcerting can be a student who stops trying to achieve objectives and goals altogether, putting themselves and others at risk.  Sadly, this type of flight can be the most dangerous when a student refuses to acknowledge reality and cannot distinguish between their fantasy of riding and the reality of putting themselves at risk with an insufficient skillset or ability.

Aggression

Have you ever become mad?  Anger is a natural human emotion and typically is displayed through loud outbursts, swearing, physically slamming or the throwing of objects during the heat of an emotional event.  Giving in to aggression is a defense mechanism and is displayed by lashing out at something or somebody, and with a little time it is quite easy to look back and say that it was a childish reaction. Unfortunately, cooling off after the event does not alleviate the fact that the defense mechanism happened.  In the classroom or on a range/track such extreme behavior is relatively infrequent or minor but we all have seen what two racers can do in the heat of the moment after a crash.

Because of social restrictions, student aggressiveness is typically subtle and passive and good examples are irrelevant questions, refusal to participate, or disruptive activities within their group or in the class as a whole.  If a student cannot deal with their personal frustration, the may display or vent their aggressiveness toward others or on an object not related to the problem.  Coaches must be cognizant of the behavior and in a subtle way ensure that it does not disturb the learning environment.

Resignation

Frustrated students may lose interest or give up when they no longer feel it possible to work any further.  Resignation is a way to accept defeat when they are having difficulty grasping the fundamentals needed to meet objectives in a course.  When a student becomes lost, it becomes more difficult to advance in a task that requires several steps such as the building blocks we discussed in motor skill development.  From that moment of resignation, learning becomes almost negligible even though the student may still go through the motions.  It becomes important for a coach to identify that this is happening and intervene, giving the student direction to catch up or permission for flight.

I hope this was somewhat enlightening, next time we will discuss Human Relations of the Instructor!

Until later, Ride and Coach Safe!