A woman cannot express hostility toward her mother and instead displaces this anger to her children. This defense mechanism is

A woman cannot express hostility toward her mother and instead displaces this anger to her children. This defense mechanism is

• A. Denial
• B. Repression
• C. Displacement
• D. Projection

Answer: (C)

Displacement is a defense mechanism where uncomfortable feelings aimed at one person are redirected to a safer target. In this case, hostility toward her mother isn’t expressed directly, so it’s channeled toward her children. This allows the underlying emotion to manifest without disrupting the original relationship, reducing anxiety. Think of it as the emotion finding a less threatening outlet. It differs from repression (where the feeling is kept out of conscious awareness) and denial (refusing to acknowledge the reality of the feeling). It also differs from projection (where one attributes their own unacceptable feelings to someone else rather than acting on them themselves).

Displacement is a defense mechanism where uncomfortable feelings aimed at one person are redirected to a safer target. In this case, hostility toward her mother isn’t expressed directly, so it’s channeled toward her children. This allows the underlying emotion to manifest without disrupting the original relationship, reducing anxiety.

Think of it as the emotion finding a less threatening outlet. It differs from repression (where the feeling is kept out of conscious awareness) and denial (refusing to acknowledge the reality of the feeling). It also differs from projection (where one attributes their own unacceptable feelings to someone else rather than acting on them themselves).