Final answer:
Displacement is shifting emotions from one target to a more acceptable one, as seen in changed attitudes towards friends after a breakup or redirecting focus after not making a sports team.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon where feelings, emotions, or attitudes from a previous relationship are shifted or transferred to another person is called displacement. Displacement is a defense mechanism that involves redirecting emotions from a 'real' target to a substitute target if the original target is threatening or inappropriate for some reason. For example, a changed attitude toward a friend or sibling might occur after a breakup, or the determination and drive from not making a sports team could be redirected to excel in academics.
Displacement can occur in various scenarios, such as making a significant change in life, like a change of major, or experiencing a change in feelings upon learning something significant about oneself or someone close. How one adapts to a new culture after moving from another country, becoming fluent in another language, or the shift in perception of a person once admired can also illustrate this concept.