A woman who has been reprimanded at work by her boss and quietly accepts his criticism. She later yells at her children without provocation from them. The defense mechanism she is using is ______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The woman is using displacement as a defense mechanism, which involves redirecting one's feelings of frustration or anger from the original source towards a substitute target that is perceived to be less threatening. In this case, the woman is unable to express her anger towards her boss, so she displaces it onto her children who are an easier target.

A Woman Who Has Been Reprimanded at Work by Her