When Anna looks at some modern artwork at the museum, she often thinks she sees human figures or faces, and likes to make up stories about them. When she tells the stories to her friend, the friend says that the stories are like Anna's real personality. In psychological terms, what Anna has done is most similar to ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Anna's tendency to see human figures or faces in the artwork and make up stories about them is a form of projection. Projection is a defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own thoughts, emotions, and impulses onto another person or object. This is similar to a projective test, which is a psychological assessment tool that presents ambiguous stimuli (such as inkblots or incomplete sentences) and asks the participant to project their thoughts and feelings onto it.

When Anna Looks at Some Modern Artwork at the Museum