Which defense mechanism shifts the unacceptable impulses toward a safer outlet?

• A. Displacement
• B. Sublimation
• C. Projection
• D. Regression

Answer: (A)

Displacement involves redirecting unacceptable impulses from their original target to a safer outlet. The energy of the impulse is still present, but it’s expressed toward something less threatening, which reduces immediate anxiety. For example, anger toward a difficult coworker might be vented by snapping at a family member or by channeling that frustration into a physical activity or task. This description fits shifting impulses toward a safer outlet.

Sublimation also channels impulses into constructive activity, but it emphasizes transforming the urge into something socially valued rather than simply redirecting it to a safer target. Projection attributes the impulse to others, and regression reverts behavior to an earlier developmental stage, which are not about redirecting to a safer outlet in the same way.