What Is Reaction Formation?
In psychology, response development is a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously replaces an undesirable or anxiety-provoking impulse with its contrary, frequently shared in an exaggerated or flashy means. A traditional example is a young child who bullies a young girl since, on a subconscious degree, he's attracted to her. Consciously, he can not face the reality of his enchanting feelings, so he reveals abhorrence towards her rather than gratitude. History of Response Development The principle of defense mechanisms was originally proposed in the late 1800s by Sigmund Freud as part of his psychoanalytic theory.1 While Freud began the…
