Final answer:
The defense mechanism described is displacement, where emotional responses are shifted from a threatening situation to a less threatening one.
Step-by-step explanation:
The defense mechanism that shifts the emotional element of a threatening situation to a non-threatening one is known as displacement. This mechanism involves transferring inappropriate urges or behaviors onto a more acceptable or less threatening target. For instance, if someone is angry at their boss but cannot express it directly, they might come home and take out their frustration on a family member, which is a more socially acceptable target.
Other defense mechanisms include repression, where anxiety-causing memories are blocked from consciousness; rationalization, which involves justifying behaviors by substituting acceptable reasons for less-acceptable real reasons; and sublimation, where unacceptable urges are channeled into socially acceptable activities.