Final answer:
Freud believed sublimation is a defense mechanism where unacceptable urges are transformed into socially acceptable behaviors, particularly creative or productive activities. It redirects, rather than denies or suppresses impulses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sigmund Freud believed that sublimation is a defense mechanism where unacceptable impulses are transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior. Freud theorized that most creative achievements are motivated by sublimated impulses, often sexual or aggressive in nature. This unconscious process serves as a way for individuals to channel their repressed desires through a productive outlet, thereby managing inner conflict.
In sublimation, there is no denial or repression of ideas, feelings, or impulses; rather, they are redirected. For instance, an individual with aggressive tendencies might take up a sport that channels aggression in a positive and socially acceptable way. Contrary to the other options, sublimation is not about projecting one's impulses onto others, nor is it about turning an unpleasant idea into its opposite, or about keeping disturbing thoughts out of consciousness, those describe projection, reaction formation, and repression, respectively.