An employee redirects anger from a coworker onto a family member at home.

An employee redirects anger from a coworker onto a family member at home.

• A. Displacement
• B. Projection
• C. Introjection
• D. Identification

Answer: (A)

Redirecting strong emotions from the original source onto a safer target is displacement. When someone feels anger toward a coworker but cannot express it toward that person, they unconsciously redirect that energy to a family member at home. This transfers the emotional tension without addressing the real cause, which is the unresolved anger toward the coworker. Displacement differs from projection (attributing one’s feelings to others), introjection (internalizing others’ beliefs or standards), and identification (adopting another’s traits or behaviors).

Redirecting strong emotions from the original source onto a safer target is displacement. When someone feels anger toward a coworker but cannot express it toward that person, they unconsciously redirect that energy to a family member at home. This transfers the emotional tension without addressing the real cause, which is the unresolved anger toward the coworker. Displacement differs from projection (attributing one’s feelings to others), introjection (internalizing others’ beliefs or standards), and identification (adopting another’s traits or behaviors).