A businesswoman is upset with her husband. She channels this anger into her work and increases her productivity dramatically. This is an example of
A) sublimation.
B) displacement.
C) reaction formation.
D) projection.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sublimation is the act of redirecting socially unacceptable impulses or behaviors into more socially acceptable ones. In this case, the businesswoman is redirecting her anger towards her husband into her work, which is a socially acceptable behavior. This leads to a positive outcome, as her productivity increases. Displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original target to a less threatening one, reaction formation involves expressing the opposite of how one truly feels, and projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings onto another person or object. None of these options accurately describe the scenario provided.

A Businesswoman Is Upset with Her Husband