Mrs. B received a very poor rating by her supervisor, who had been constantly criticizing her in front of her coworkers. When she got home, her kids ran up to greet her, all talking at once. Mrs. B responded by yelling, "Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm tired?" According to psychoanalytic theory, this is an example of the defense mechanism known as
A) displacement.
B) projection.
C) repression.
D) rationalization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Displacement is the act of redirecting one's feelings, particularly anger or frustration, onto a less threatening or deserving target. In this case, Mrs. B redirected her anger and frustration with her supervisor onto her innocent children, who were just excited to see her.

Mrs B Received a Very Poor Rating by Her Supervisor