A man who has been recently rejected by a female co-worker commits a brutal assault against an unknown woman who closely resembles his co-worker. This would be an example of which of Freud's defence mechanisms?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Displacement is the unconscious redirection of an emotional impulse from its original source to a safer, substitute target. In this case, the man redirected his aggressive impulses towards a woman who resembled his female co-worker, as a safer outlet for his emotions.

A Man Who Has Been Recently Rejected by a Female