Question

A woman who has been reprimanded at work by her boss and quietly accepts his criticism. she later yells at her children without provocation from them. the defense mechanism she is using is ______. projection displacement sublimation regression

Answer 1

The correct answer is displacement. 

The correct answer is displacement. Displacement refers to a defense mechanism that involves transferring one's impulses, feelings or frustrations onto people, animals or objects that are unrelated to the source of one's frustrations, since they are safer targets than the source of the feelings or frustration themselves. In this instance, by yelling at her children without provocation from them, the woman is displacing the frustration she feels due to her boss onto her children.