Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 63%
Simulated
A 40-year-old patient cries and has a tantrum when the health care provider refuses to give her a prescription for diet pills. The nurse realizes that this is the use of which defense mechanism?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Crying and tantrums reflect regression to childlike behavior under stress, unlike projection, repression, or denial, which involve different coping mechanisms.