Question

a young mother, alma, whose finances are tight, decides to buy an expensive dress. though she feels guilty, she rationalizes that because she spends so much self-sacrificing time with spit-up in her hair and baby food splattered on her clothes, she deserves something nice to put on once in a while. how might you explain alma's behavior using freud's theories?

Answer 1

anxiety is uncomfortable, and when it slips into our conscious awareness, the ego attempts to reduce it by using defense mechanisms.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Freud, defense mechanisms are used when a person feels anxious. In this scenario, the young mothers feeling guilty, which is creating anxiety. She immediately used a defense mechanism to reduce the anxious feelings she is having.