A conservative man who cannot accept his own sexual desires begins a highly publicized crusade to stamp out pornography. His defense mechanism is ______.

Question

A conservative man who cannot accept his own sexual desires begins a highly publicized crusade to stamp out pornography. His defense mechanism is ______.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The man's highly publicized crusade to stamp out pornography is a possible indicator of reaction formation, a defense mechanism where an individual "reacts" in the opposite manner to their unconscious desires or impulses. In this case, the man's conservative nature may conflict with his own sexual desires, leading him to publicly denounce and eliminate pornography as a way to distance himself from those desires.

A Conservative Man Who Cannot Accept His Own Sexual Desires