Rather than yelling at a person, you take anger out on kicking your dog; this illustrates which defense mechanism?

Rather than yelling at a person, you take anger out on kicking your dog; this illustrates which defense mechanism?

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

Answer: (A)

This illustrates displacement, a defense mechanism where you redirect emotions from the original target to a safer or less threatening substitute. Here, the anger is aimed at a person, but you take it out on a dog instead. The underlying emotion—anger or frustration—is still being expressed, but not toward the person who triggered it, which can feel safer to act out in the moment. This isn’t projection, which would involve attributing your own unacceptable feelings to someone else as if they were theirs. It also isn’t sublimation, which would channel those emotions into a socially acceptable or constructive outlet, like exercising or creating art. And it isn’t regression, which would mean returning to earlier, childish behaviors under stress.

This illustrates displacement, a defense mechanism where you redirect emotions from the original target to a safer or less threatening substitute. Here, the anger is aimed at a person, but you take it out on a dog instead. The underlying emotion—anger or frustration—is still being expressed, but not toward the person who triggered it, which can feel safer to act out in the moment.

This isn’t projection, which would involve attributing your own unacceptable feelings to someone else as if they were theirs. It also isn’t sublimation, which would channel those emotions into a socially acceptable or constructive outlet, like exercising or creating art. And it isn’t regression, which would mean returning to earlier, childish behaviors under stress.