Students often pick on Tito, but he says that this behavior is a sign that the other students like him. What defense mechanism is Tito displaying?

Answer 1

Tito is displaying rationalization, which is a defense mechanism where a person justifies or explains away their feelings or behaviors in a way that seems logical or acceptable. In this case, he is interpreting the bullying or negative treatment from his peers as a sign of affection rather than acknowledging it as bullying, thus rationalizing the situation to protect his self-esteem.