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NCLEX · Coping and Defense Mechanisms

A client who is angry at their employer comes home and yells at their family instead. Which defense mechanism does this BEST illustrate?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Displacement

  1. A Denial
  2. B Displacement
  3. C Projection
  4. D Regression

Why this is the answer

Displacement is a defense mechanism in which a person redirects emotions (often anger) from the original, threatening source to a safer, less threatening target — here, redirecting anger felt toward an employer onto family members. Denial is refusing to accept reality; regression is reverting to earlier, more childlike behavior under stress; and projection is attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to someone else. Recognizing common defense mechanisms and matching them to examples is a standard psychosocial concept. Defense mechanisms are largely unconscious ways of coping with anxiety. (This reflects general concepts; verify against current NCLEX prep materials.)
Source: NCLEX-PN Psychosocial — Defense Mechanisms, Displacement

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About this topic: Coping and Defense Mechanisms

Coping and defense mechanism questions cover denial, projection, rationalisation, displacement, regression and the rest, recognising them in a scenario, and supporting adaptive coping. This is one of 10 PN: Psychosocial Integrity questions on coping and defense mechanisms, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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