Which description best characterizes ego defense mechanism known as regression?

• A. Expressing the opposite impulse to cover up the true feeling
• B. Coping with a stressor through actions and behaviors associated with an earlier developmental period
• C. Involuntarily blocking unpleasant feelings from awareness
• D. Converting uncomfortable impulse into a socially acceptable behavior

Answer: (B)

Regression is an ego defense in which a person under stress reverts to behaviors characteristic of an earlier developmental period. This retreat to a younger coping style provides momentary relief from anxiety because those older, more primitive behaviors feel safer and familiar. An adult who, when overwhelmed, acts in childlike ways—seeking comfort, throwing tantrums, or clinging to security objects—illustrates regression.

This is distinct from repression, which involves pushing distressing thoughts out of awareness; from reaction formation, which expresses the opposite of what one truly feels; and from sublimation, which channels unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities. The description that captures regression best is coping with a stressor through actions and behaviors associated with an earlier developmental period.