Part II    Psychodynamic Theories40
fei75766_ch02_019-071.indd 40  02/19/20 08:59 AMunchanged intheunconscious. Second, theycould force theirwayintoconsciousness 
inanunaltered form, inwhich casetheywould create more anxiety thantheperson 
could handle, andtheperson would beoverwhelmed withanxiety. Thethird and
much more common fateofrepressed drives isthattheyareexpressed indisplaced 
ordisguised forms. Thedisguise, ofcourse, must beclever enough todeceive theego.
Repressed drives maybedisguised asphysical symptoms, forexample, sexual impo -
tency inamantroubled bysexual guilt. Theimpotency prevents themanfrom having 
todealwiththeguiltandanxiety thatwould result from normal enjoyable sexual 
activity. Repressed drives mayalsofindanoutlet indreams, slipsofthetongue, or
oneoftheother defense mechanisms.
Reaction Formation
Oneoftheways inwhich arepressed impulse maybecome conscious isthrough 
adopting adisguise thatisdirectly opposite itsoriginal form. Thisdefense mechanism 
iscalled areaction formation. Reactive behavior canbeidentified byitsexaggerated 
character andbyitsobsessive andcompulsive form (Freud, 1926/1959a). Anexam -
pleofareaction formation canbeseeninayoung woman whodeeply resents and
hates hermother. Because sheknows thatsociety demands affection toward parents, 
suchconscious hatred forhermother would produce toomuch anxiety. Toavoid 
painful anxiety, theyoung woman concentrates ontheopposite impulse—love. Her
“love” forhermother, however, isnotgenuine. Itisshowy, exaggerated, andover-
done. Other people mayeasily seethetruenature ofthislove,butthewoman must 
deceive herself andcling toherreaction formation, which helps conceal theanxiety-
arousing truth thatsheunconsciously hates hermother.
Displacement
Freud (1926/1959a) believed thatreaction formations arelimited toasingle object; 
forexample, people withreactive loveshower affection onlyontheperson toward 
whom theyfeelunconscious hatred. Indisplacement, however, people canredirect 
theirunacceptable urges ontoavariety ofpeople orobjects sothattheoriginal 
impulse isdisguised orconcealed. Forexample, awoman whoisangry withherroom -
mate maydisplace heranger ontoheremployees, herpetcat,orastuffed animal. She
remains friendly toherroommate, butunlike theworkings ofareaction formation, 
shedoesnotexaggerate oroverdo herfriendliness.
Throughout hiswritings, Freud usedtheterm“displacement” inseveral ways. 
Inourdiscussion ofthesexual drive, forexample, wesawthatthesexual object can
bedisplaced ortransformed ontoavariety ofother objects, including one’s self.Freud 
(1926/1959a) alsouseddisplacement torefertothereplacement ofoneneurotic symp -
tomforanother; forexample, acompulsive urgetomasturbate maybereplaced bycom-
pulsive handwashing. Displacement alsoisinvolved indream formation, aswhen the
dreamer’s destructive urges toward aparent areplaced ontoadogorwolf.Inthisevent, 
adream about adogbeing hitbyacarmight reflect thedreamer’s unconscious wishto
seetheparent destroyed. (Wediscuss dream formation more completely inthesection 
ondream analysis.)Final PDF to printer