Susan loves her new baby brother,but sometimes she secretly wishes she were still the only child in the family.Which defence mechanism would she be using if she snuggled him a little too roughly?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Susan's behavior of snuggling her baby brother roughly would be an example of reaction formation, which is a defense mechanism used to counteract unacceptable or uncomfortable thoughts or feelings by expressing the opposite behavior. In other words, Susan may feel guilty about wishing she was the only child but shows excessive love and care towards her brother to compensate for those thoughts.

Susan Loves Her New Baby Brother,but Sometimes She Secretly Wishes