What does reaction formation mean?

Definitions for reaction formation
re·ac·tion for·ma·tion

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word reaction formation.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. reaction formationnoun

    (psychiatry) a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them

    "his strict morality is just a reaction formation to hide his sexual drive"

Wikipedia

  1. Reaction formation

    In psychoanalytic theory, reaction formation (German: Reaktionsbildung) is a defense mechanism in which emotions and impulses which are anxiety-producing or perceived to be unacceptable are mastered by exaggeration of the directly opposing tendency. The reaction formations belong to Level 3 of neurotic defense mechanisms, which also include dissociation, displacement, intellectualization, and repression.

ChatGPT

  1. reaction formation

    Reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism where a person responds to a threatening or forbidden thought, feeling, or impulse by outwardly expressing the opposite. It's a way of denying or covering up uncomfortable or unwanted emotions, often resulting in an exaggerated display of the opposite emotion.

Wikidata

  1. Reaction formation

    In psychoanalytic theory, reaction formation is a defensive process in which anxiety-producing or unacceptable emotions and impulses are mastered by exaggeration of the directly opposing tendency.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of reaction formation in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of reaction formation in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

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"reaction formation." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/reaction+formation>.

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