The correct answer is A. The mechanism of denial is when one fails to recognize the obvi- ous implications or consequences of a thought, act, or situation. This ego defense mechanism is often seen in patients with recently diag- nosed HIV or cancer.
Answer B is incorrect. Displacement is a de- fense mechanism whereby ideas and feelings that a patient wishes to avoid are transferred to another person or object; for example, a pa- tient who yells at the nurse because he is angry at news he has just received from the doctor.
Answer C is incorrect. Projection is the pro- cess of attributing one’s thoughts or impulses, usually ones that are unacceptable or undesir- able, to another person.
Answer D is incorrect. Rationalization pro- duces a more socially acceptable and apparently more or less logical explanation for an act or decision actually produced by uncon- scious impulses. This patient’s assertion that he “feels fine, anyway” may be a form of rational- ization, but the primary ego defense mecha- nism that he is using is denial.
Answer E is incorrect. Repression is the un- conscious exclusion of a painful or anxiety- provoking thought, impulse, or memory from awareness.