Kay resents her mother because she feels that her mother neglected her when she was growing up. Kay's overly kind and attentive behaviour toward her mother, who is old and sick, may be an example of the defence mechanism called

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Reaction formation is a defence mechanism where a person behaves in a way that is opposite to their true feelings in order to defend against unacceptable impulses or feelings. In this case, Kay resents her mother but behaves overly kind and attentive towards her, which is opposite to her true feelings. This behaviour may be a result of her using the defence mechanism of reaction formation.

Kay Resents Her Mother Because She Feels That Her Mother