Even though a woman really despises her mother, she calls her mother on the phone every day, buys her little gifts, and tells everyone that her mother is her best friend and she dearly loves her. Freud would say that this woman, in order to deal with her hatred of her mother, has used the defense mechanism of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism where an individual acts in a manner opposite to their true feelings in order to keep those feelings hidden. In this case, the woman shows love and affection towards her mother, despite actually despising her, which is a classic example of reaction formation.

Even Though a Woman Really Despises Her Mother, She Calls