A politician distressed about his own secret history of taking bribes proposes strict penalties against offering bribes.His behavior is a possible example of which Freudian defense mechanism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The politician's behavior is an example of reaction formation, which is a defense mechanism where an individual represses their own unacceptable desires or behaviors and overcompensates by exhibiting the exact opposite behavior or attitude. In this case, the politician is distressed by his own history of taking bribes and is overcompensating by proposing strict penalties against offering bribes.

A Politician Distressed About His Own Secret History of Taking