Question

Zelda is really angry at her friend Brenda, and feels an overwhelming urge to set fire to Brenda’s car. She doesn’t, but instead goes home and builds a roaring fire in the stone fire pit in her back yard. She then throws three of Brenda’s pictures into the blaze. Zelda has used a defense mechanism called ________.

Answer 1

Answer: Sublimation

Explanation:

1- According to Psychoanalysis, sublimation is a defense mechanism in which socially inaceptable impulses or thoughts are transformed into more socially acceptable ones, or at least ones that do not carry real negative consecuences.

2- According to Sigmund Freud father of psychoanalysis, sublimation is essential in mature and civilized adults, because this defense mechanism allows people to live in society.

3- In this particular situation, Zelda unconsciously transformed her initial impulses (Setting fire to Brenda's car) into a more harmless one (Throwing pictures into a fire) which is an example of the defense mechanism called Sublimation.

Answer 2

Answer:

Zelda is using a defense mechanism known as displacement.

Explanation:

One tends to use defense mechanisms in order to reach a psychic well-being and to cope with certain feelings, emotions or situations.

Displacement refers to taking emotions or impulses towards a specific object and redirecting them to a less threatening object, in order to discharge them in a "safer" way.

Zelda has the urge to set fire to Brenda's car but this specific action could lead to certain issues and could even get her in legal troubles, for example. She takes this impulse and throws pictures of Brenda in a fire instead, thus avoiding further conflicts.