A man becomes a leader in a crusade promoting sexual morality. A year later, he is arrested for a variety of sex crimes. Freud might have interpreted the man's earlier behavior as an example of the psychological defense mechanism called
A) repression.
B) denial.
C) reaction formation.
D) projection.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Freudian theory, reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person acts in a way that is opposite to their true feelings or impulses in order to avoid experiencing or expressing those feelings. In this case, the man's crusade promoting sexual morality may have been a reaction formation to his own repressed or shameful feelings about his own sexuality. Later, his arrest for sex crimes suggests that his earlier behavior may have been a way for him to compensate for his own internal conflicts by promoting a strict moral code.

A Man Becomes a Leader in a Crusade Promoting Sexual