Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's unacceptable impulses to others?

Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's unacceptable impulses to others?

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

Answer: (B)

Projection is a defense mechanism in which you attribute your own unacceptable impulses or feelings to someone else. By shifting those uncomfortable thoughts outward, it keeps them out of your awareness and reduces anxiety. For example, if someone feels aggressive urges, they might accuse others of being hostile toward them, or a person who is attracted to a coworker might insist that coworker has the same attraction toward them. This attribution is typically unconscious, serving to protect self-image by denying ownership of the impulses. Denial would involve refusing to accept the reality of the impulse, sublimation would channel the impulse into socially acceptable activities, and regression would involve reverting to earlier behaviors under stress rather than accusing others of your own feelings.

Projection is a defense mechanism in which you attribute your own unacceptable impulses or feelings to someone else. By shifting those uncomfortable thoughts outward, it keeps them out of your awareness and reduces anxiety. For example, if someone feels aggressive urges, they might accuse others of being hostile toward them, or a person who is attracted to a coworker might insist that coworker has the same attraction toward them. This attribution is typically unconscious, serving to protect self-image by denying ownership of the impulses.

Denial would involve refusing to accept the reality of the impulse, sublimation would channel the impulse into socially acceptable activities, and regression would involve reverting to earlier behaviors under stress rather than accusing others of your own feelings.