Question

When you were a child, you always felt that your mother preferred your younger sister. When you begin therapy, you notice that you're beginning to be jealous of the patient who leaves the therapist's office just before your session. According to Freud, this would indicate your _____ of your feelings about your mother toward the therapist.

a) Repression
b) Projection
c) Displacement
d) Sublimation

Answer 1

Freud's concept of displacement explains the situation where the student is redirecting feelings towards the therapist, which originates from unresolved emotions associated with their mother. This is a common defense mechanism used to cope with anxiety and maintain psychological balance by diverting emotions to a substitute target.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Freud, the jealousy that you are experiencing towards another patient in the context of therapy is indicative of your displacement of feelings about your mother onto the therapist. Displacement is a defense mechanism where an individual shifts their feelings from the source of the emotions to a safer substitute target.

In your case, the unresolved feelings of preference you believe your mother had for your sister are now being redirected toward another patient who is unknowingly acting as a substitute for your sister. This defensive act allows you to express your emotions without directly confronting the more painful and potent conflict with your mother.

Freud's theory of psychosexual development, particularly the phallic stage, is important to understanding the origins of these feelings. During the phallic stage, boys go through what is known as the Oedipus complex, which involves a mix of desire for the mother and rivalry towards the father.

Girls go through the Electra complex, which also involves a desire for the opposite-sex parent and feelings of competition with the same-sex parent. If these stages are not resolved properly, an individual might develop defense mechanisms such as displacement, to cope with unresolved feelings and anxieties stemming from these early developmental phases.

Overall, Freud asserted that individuals employ defense mechanisms like displacement, repression, projection, and sublimation as a way to protect themselves from the anxieties that arise due to conflicts between their id, ego, and superego. These unconscious behaviors serve to manage uncomfortable feelings and help maintain psychological equilibrium.