Troy and Carrie are a couple. Troy is unable to consciously admit he has strong feelings of sexual attraction to other women. However, he suspects and accuses Carrie of being sexually attracted to other men, even though Carrie has never done anything to arouse such suspicions. Which ego defense mechanism best explains Troy's behavior?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Projection is an ego defense mechanism in which one unconsciously attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives onto another person. In this case, Troy is projecting his own sexual attraction to other women onto Carrie and accusing her of being unfaithful, even though there is no evidence to support this claim.

Troy and Carrie Are a Couple