Puneeta behaves very aggressively towards others but she perceives people around her acting in an excessively aggressive way towards her. Identify the defense mechanism used by Puneeta:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Projection
Option (1) Rationalisation — Incorrect. In rationalisation a person tries to make unreasonable feelings or behaviour seem reasonable, like the student who buys new pens after a poor examination and says, ‘I will do much better with these pens’. Puneeta gives no excuse for her aggression.
Option (2) Reaction Formation — Incorrect. In reaction formation a person defends against anxiety by adopting behaviours opposite to her/his true feelings. Puneeta does not act gentle to hide her aggression; she sees it in others.
Option (3) Repression — Incorrect. In repression, anxiety-provoking behaviours or thoughts are totally dismissed by the unconscious, and the person is not aware of them at all. Puneeta’s aggression is not pushed out of sight; it is placed on to others.
Option (4) Projection — Correct. In projection, people attribute their own traits to others. A person who has strong aggressive tendencies may see other people as acting in an excessively aggressive way towards her/him, which is Puneeta’s case.
NCERT (2025-26): “Ego Defence Mechanisms … Other major defence mechanisms are projection, denial, reaction formation and rationalisation. In projection, people attribute their own traits to others. Thus, a person who has strong aggressive tendencies may see other people as acting in an excessively aggressive way towards her/him. In denial, a person totally refuses to accept reality. Thus, someone suffering from HIV/AIDS may altogether deny her/ his illness. In reaction formation, a person defends against anxiety by adopting behaviours opposite to her/his true feelings. A person with strong sexual urges, who channels her/his energy into religious fervour, presents a classical example of reaction formation. In rationalisation, a person tries to make unreasonable feelings or behaviour seem r easonable and acceptable.…” “…The most important is repression, in which anxietyprovoking behaviours or thoughts are totally dismissed by the unconscious.…” |