Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI) Practice Test

Displacement is indeed the correct term for describing a defense mechanism where an individual shifts their feelings or emotional responses from the original source of stress or discomfort to a safer or less threatening target. This process allows the person to express emotions in a way that feels less risky.

For example, if someone is upset with their boss but feels unable to express that anger directly, they might come home and take it out on a family member or even a pet. This allows them to avoid confronting the original source of their feelings while still displacing their emotional response onto something that feels safer.

In contrast, projection involves attributing one’s own undesirable feelings to someone else; rationalization provides a logical justification for behaviors that might be perceived as irrational; and denial is the refusal to accept reality or facts. Each of these defense mechanisms operates differently and serves other psychological purposes, but displacement specifically refers to the shifting of emotion to a safer target.