A patient is always telling the staff in the office how irritable they are and how they do not listen to her. The patient is under a lot of stress and is irritable. The office staff has been observed on multiple occasions politely listening to this patient and trying to help her. This patient may be using a defense mechanism known as

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient is attributing her own feelings of irritability and stress to the office staff, which is an example of projection. Projection is a defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and motives to another person.

A Patient Is Always Telling the Staff in the Office