After Jack's Loan Application for the New Car Was Rejected

question 341

Multiple Choice

After Jack's loan application for the new car was rejected, he told a friend that he was glad he had not gotten the loan because his old car was still very reliable and he really didn't want to make monthly car payments. Which ego defense mechanism best explains Jack's behavior?

• A) repression
• B) undoing
• C) rationalization
• D) reaction formation

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Definitions:

Psychoanalytic Treatment

A therapeutic process, originating from the theories of Freud, that seeks to uncover and understand unconscious motivations affecting behavior.

Dream Analysis

A psychotherapeutic technique in which the therapist interprets the symbolic meaning of the client’s dreams.

Free Association

A psychoanalytic technique in which a patient speaks freely about their thoughts, feelings, and memories, allowing unconscious material to emerge.

Negative Thinking

A cognitive pattern where an individual consistently anticipates undesirable outcomes or views situations pessimistically.