Which among the following defense mechanism is related to the given example: 'During lunch at a restaurant, Mark is angry at his older brother, but does not express it and instead is verbally abusive to the server'?

1. A

   Displacement

2. B

   Reaction formation

3. C

   Regression

4. D

   Sublimation

Appeared in: WCL Staff Nurse - 2022

Explanation

• Displacement is an unconscious defense mechanism where feelings or impulses are redirected from an original, often threatening, source to a less threatening substitute target.
• In the given scenario, Mark's anger originates from his interaction with his older brother.
• However, he perceives confronting his brother as potentially risky or difficult.
• Consequently, he unconsciously shifts (displaces) his anger onto the server, who represents a safer and more neutral outlet for his frustration.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: Reaction formation involves expressing the opposite of what one truly feels. Mark is expressing anger, not its opposite (e.g., excessive kindness).
• Option C: Regression is a retreat to an earlier, more immature stage of development. Mark's verbal abuse is an aggressive adult behavior, not a childlike one.
• Option D: Sublimation is the channeling of unacceptable impulses into socially constructive and acceptable activities. Verbal abuse is destructive, not constructive.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing Defense Mechanisms: Displacement helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Recognizing defense mechanisms like displacement is crucial for nurses. It helps in understanding that a patient's anger or frustration directed at the healthcare team may not be personal but a redirection of feelings about their illness, prognosis, or loss of control.
• This understanding allows the nurse to respond therapeutically (e.g., by acknowledging the patient's frustration) rather than defensively, which can de-escalate tension and build a better nurse-patient relationship.
• What if? If Mark, instead of yelling, had started meticulously rearranging the salt and pepper shakers and cleaning his silverware with a napkin, he might be using 'undoing' or 'controlling' as a defense to manage his internal anxiety and anger.

How to Approach the Question

• First, carefully read the clinical scenario to identify the core emotion and its original source. In this case, the emotion is anger, and the source is the older brother.
• Next, identify the action or behavior that results from this emotion. The action is verbal abuse directed at the server.
• Analyze the relationship between the source of the emotion (brother) and the target of the action (server). The action is being directed at a substitute, less threatening target.
• Review the definitions of the defense mechanisms provided in the options.
• Match the scenario to the correct definition. Displacement is defined as shifting emotions from a threatening source to a safer target, which perfectly fits the example.
• Systematically rule out the other options by confirming their definitions do not match the scenario (e.g., reaction formation is opposite behavior, regression is childlike behavior, sublimation is constructive channeling).

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Defense Mechanisms: Displacement
• Stem keywords: defense mechanism, angry at his older brother, verbally abusive to the server
• Lead-in keywords: Which among the following
• Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QmDliehgSCF-iU5OUs1MZ2

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 2 p. 188-190

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2994-2996