A person tells a co-worker, with whom she competes for project assignments, that she'll help him with a report but then never follows through. This is an example of which defence mechanism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario demonstrates passive-aggressive behaviour, where the person acts supportive but fails to follow through in order to undermine or harm the co-worker. Projection involves shifting one's own shortcomings onto others, displacement involves redirecting emotions towards a less threatening target, and substitution involves replacing an unattainable goal with a more achievable one.

A Person Tells a Co-Worker, with Whom She Competes for Project