Gordon is romantically interested in Michaela, a woman who lives in his dorm. However, he feels anxious about his attraction to her because he knows that his friends would not approve. Every time Gordon sees Michaela, he says mean things despite his attraction to her. His behavior is an example of which defense mechanism?

Reactive formation is a defense mechanism that occurs when a person feels a desire to do or say something but says the opposite. Reactive formation appears as a defense against a feared social punishment. If I fear that I will be criticized for anything, I very visibly act in a way that shows that I am personally out of the way of the feared position.

A common pattern in reactive formation is where a person uses "excessive behavior", for example, using exaggerated sympathy when the person is really feeling hostile.