The defense mechanism John is using in this scenario is rationalization. He is justifying his decision to not tell the truth by convincing himself that his parents "won't mind," which is a way to make his actions seem acceptable to himself.
Which defense mechanism is
John using when he says "It's ok if I tell my parents that l am going to Lisa's house even when I'm really going to ride around with Pete because they won't mind."
(1 point)
• regression
• rationalization
• rejection
• denial
1 answer