Because the beginnings of his own sexual attraction to some ofthe girls in his seventh-grade class were so anxiety-provoking to Jeff, he often found himself teasing the girls to whom he was most attracted. Jeff's behavior is best explained by which ofthe following ego defense mechanisms?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jeff's behavior of teasing the girls he is attracted to is an example of reaction formation, which is a defense mechanism in which a person seeks to conceal or repress unacceptable thoughts or feelings by expressing the opposite reaction. In this case, Jeff may be experiencing anxiety or guilt about his own sexual attraction, and thus he is expressing the opposite reaction of teasing the girls to cover up his own desires.

Because the Beginnings of His Own Sexual Attraction to Some