In psychology, displacement is an unconscious defense mechanism in which the mind substitutes a new aim or a new object for something felt, in its original form, to be dangerous or unacceptable. A person criticized by a boss at work, for example, may feel angry but be unable to express that anger directly toward the boss, and instead vent the same frustration at a family member or by slamming a door once home, so that the safer target absorbs an anger that was never really about it.
Facts
Partially Attested
First Described YearSource gives a range of appearances in Freud's writings (1887 to 1902) rather than one first-description year; 1887 is the start of that range. Core ClaimDisplacement is an unconscious defense mechanism whereby the mind substitutes a new aim or a new object for things felt in their original form to be dangerous or unacceptable. 1 Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Wikipedia: Displacement (psychology)
Lead, sentence 1
an unconscious defence mechanism whereby the mind substitutes either a new aim or a new object for things felt in their original form to be dangerous or unacceptable
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
'shift, move') is an unconscious defence mechanism whereby the mind substitutes either a new aim or a new object for things felt in their original form to be dangerous or unacceptable.
View the Source2. Encyclopedia.com: Displacement
Entry body, sentence on the concept's appearances in Freud's writingsQuote, Entry body, sentence on the concept's appearances in Freud's writings
Between 1887 and 1902 the concept of displacement appeared several times in Freud's writings
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