The finding that homophobic men exhibit more sexual excitement to homosexual activity than men who are not homophobic best illustrates the defense mechanism of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism where a person expresses the opposite of their unconscious desires. In this case, the homophobic men would have unconscious homosexual desires, and their overtly homophobic attitudes and behaviors are a reaction formation to suppress their own true desires. The finding that these men exhibit more sexual excitement to homosexual activity than non-homophobic men fits with the idea that their unconscious desires are not in line with their conscious attitudes.

The Finding That Homophobic Men Exhibit More Sexual Excitement to Homosexual