Felix has always been attracted to his best friend's girlfriend Rita. Unconsciously he knows that it would be wrong to flirt with her and risk alienating his friend, and so Felix regularly treats her badly. When Felix demonstrates the opposite of his internal impulses, Felix is likely employing what defense mechanism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which an individual expresses the opposite of their true feelings or impulses. In this case, Felix is attracted to his friend's girlfriend but treats her badly because he knows it would be wrong to flirt with her.

Felix Has Always Been Attracted to His Best Friend's Girlfriend