If you think your spouse wants to cheat but you actually want to cheat, this is an example of which defense mechanism?

If you think your spouse wants to cheat but you actually want to cheat, this is an example of which defense mechanism?

• A. Projection
• B. Denial
• C. Sublimation
• D. Regression

Answer: (A)

This item tests projection, a defense mechanism where you attribute your own unwanted thoughts or impulses to someone else. Here, the person recognizes a real impulse to cheat but assumes that their spouse wants to cheat instead. By projecting the undesirable urge onto the spouse, they avoid acknowledging their own feelings and distance themselves from the guilt or anxiety. Denial would be refusing to acknowledge the cheating possibility altogether, sublimation would redirect the impulse into something socially acceptable, and regression would involve returning to immature patterns under stress. Projection best fits because the behavior centers on placing one’s own cheating impulse onto the other person.

This item tests projection, a defense mechanism where you attribute your own unwanted thoughts or impulses to someone else. Here, the person recognizes a real impulse to cheat but assumes that their spouse wants to cheat instead. By projecting the undesirable urge onto the spouse, they avoid acknowledging their own feelings and distance themselves from the guilt or anxiety. Denial would be refusing to acknowledge the cheating possibility altogether, sublimation would redirect the impulse into something socially acceptable, and regression would involve returning to immature patterns under stress. Projection best fits because the behavior centers on placing one’s own cheating impulse onto the other person.