Which of the following defense mechanisms is Marissa using when she says “So what if I broke her stupid toy? She’s always bothering me when I want to play video games and no one should have to put up with that all the time.”

(1 point)
Responses

compensation
compensation

denial
denial

reaction formation
reaction formation

projection

help

1 answer

Marissa is using projection as a defense mechanism when she blames the other person's behavior (bothering her while playing video games) to justify her actions (breaking the toy). This shifts the focus away from her guilt or responsibility for her behavior by attributing her feelings and reasons to someone else.