Association of Social Work Boards Masters (ASWB MSW) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Unlock your potential as a social worker by studying for the ASWB MSW exam. Our comprehensive quiz prepares you with multiple choice questions and explanations, ensuring you're equipped to tackle the exam with confidence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What defense mechanism is described by adopting affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors opposite of one's true feelings?

Repression
Reaction Formation
Regression
Rationalization

The correct answer is: Reaction Formation

This is correct because reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which an individual behaves in a manner that is opposite to their true feelings. This can occur when a person has feelings or thoughts that are considered socially unacceptable or anxiety-provoking, so they adopt the opposite affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors to avoid facing those feelings. The other options are incorrect because repression is the unconscious blocking of thoughts or memories, regression is reverting back to an earlier stage of development in response to stress, and rationalization is justifying one's actions or feelings in a way that makes them seem reasonable. These defense mechanisms do not involve adopting opposite behaviors or attitudes.