Question

A businesswoman is upset with her husband. She channels this anger into her work and increases her productivity dramatically. This tendency to refocus an unacceptable or threatening impulse into a socially acceptable outlet is the defense mechanism called ________.

Answer 1

Answer:

Sublimation

Explanation:

Sublimation is the process of channelling negative, socially-unacceptable feelings, toward productive, or socially-acceptable abilities.

The concept was developed by Freud, especially in his work "Madness and Civilization".

Freud basically said that sublimation is what allowed humans to live in society, however, he also warned that sublimation did not always work, and some people were less likely to behave than others, leading to for example, the presence of criminality and antisocial behaviour.