In a case involving distressing behavior in a child, which defense mechanism is most consistent with displacement?

In a case involving distressing behavior in a child, which defense mechanism is most consistent with displacement?

• A. Denial
• B. Displacement
• C. Intellectualization
• D. Sublimation

Answer: (B)

Displacement is a defense mechanism in which intense feelings are redirected from their original source to a safer or more acceptable target. In a child with distressing behavior, emotions tied to a difficult situation or person can be expressed toward someone or something less threatening, like a sibling, a pet, or a toy, rather than toward the original source of distress. This redirection helps the child avoid confrontation or anxiety tied to the real target. Why this fits better than the others: denial would involve refusing to acknowledge the distress rather than moving the emotion to a new target; intellectualization would involve thinking about the situation in abstract terms to avoid feelings, not acting the emotion out toward a substitute; sublimation would channel impulses into socially acceptable activities (like turning aggression into sport) rather than simply redirecting distress to a safer target.

Displacement is a defense mechanism in which intense feelings are redirected from their original source to a safer or more acceptable target. In a child with distressing behavior, emotions tied to a difficult situation or person can be expressed toward someone or something less threatening, like a sibling, a pet, or a toy, rather than toward the original source of distress. This redirection helps the child avoid confrontation or anxiety tied to the real target.

Why this fits better than the others: denial would involve refusing to acknowledge the distress rather than moving the emotion to a new target; intellectualization would involve thinking about the situation in abstract terms to avoid feelings, not acting the emotion out toward a substitute; sublimation would channel impulses into socially acceptable activities (like turning aggression into sport) rather than simply redirecting distress to a safer target.