A person with strong sexual urges channels his or her energy into religious fervor. This is a classic example of:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Reaction formation
Option (1) Reaction formation — Correct. In this defence mechanism a person defends against anxiety by adopting behaviour opposite to her or his true feelings. Strong sexual urges turned into religious fervour is the classical example.
Option (2) Repression — Incorrect. In repression, anxiety-provoking thoughts are pushed out of awareness altogether; the person becomes totally unaware of the wish. Here the urge is not hidden but turned into its opposite.
Option (3) Projection — Incorrect. In projection, people attribute their own traits to others, as when a very aggressive person sees others as aggressive.
Option (4) Displacement — Incorrect. In displacement, a feeling is shifted from its real target to a safer one, as when anger at the boss is taken out on a younger sibling. The feeling stays the same; it is not reversed.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 08-06-2023 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Ego Defence Mechanisms … 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.…” |