Jorge has a crush on Julie who is dating his best friend, which makes him feel guilty, so he frequently says mean and insulting things to her. What defense mechanism best describes his behavior?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism where a person behaves in a way that is opposite to their true feelings or desires. In this case, Jorge's true feelings are that he likes Julie, but because she is dating his best friend and he feels guilty about that, he behaves in a mean and insulting way towards her to cover up his true feelings.

Jorge Has a Crush on Julie Who Is Dating His