Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical Practice Exam

The client is exhibiting displacement as a defense mechanism when he projects his anger from one target to another, less threatening target. In this case, the client feels frustrated and angry at his boss, which could be due to a power imbalance or fear of repercussions if he confronts his boss directly. Instead of expressing this anger toward the boss, he redirects it towards his family, who are safer targets for his emotional expression.

Displacement allows individuals to cope with feelings of frustration or anger by transferring these feelings to someone else who is not the root cause of the emotion, thus alleviating the pressure of having to confront the original source of anger. In this scenario, the family becomes the outlet for the client's frustration. Understanding this mechanism helps highlight how emotions can be mismanaged and redirected in ways that can harm relationships with those who are unintentionally affected.