Pamela's father is very racist, and regularly makes disparaging remarks about African Americans. Pamela loves her father very much but hates his racist tendencies. When she is away at college, she finds herself very attracted to John, who is African American, and she starts dating him in secret. Pamela's attraction to John may be explained, at least in part, by the defense mechanism of

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. Pamela's attraction to John, despite her father's racist views, may be an unconscious way of opposing her father's beliefs.

Pamela's Father Is Very Racist, and Regularly Makes Disparaging Remarks