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Norm is sexually attracted to Lilith, a married woman. Instead of acknowledging this attraction, Norm develops an intense dislike for Lilith. This is an example of the defense mechanism called _____.

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Answer:

This is an example of the defense mechanism called reaction formation.

Step-by-step explanation:

In psychology, reaction formation is a concept used to describe a common psychological defense mechanism. It is said that this mechanism appears when a person believes that his desires, feelings or characteristics are not socially acceptable. In this case, Norm is sexaully attracted to Lilith, however he knows that she is married and that it is socially unacceptable to have a relationship out of marriage, so instead of acting accordingly to what he desires, he behaves in a way that he considers opposite to how he really feals. Therefore he consciously or unconsciously develops an intense dislike for her. This is an example of reaction formation.

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