Which term refers to attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to someone else?

• A. Rationalization
• B. Projection
• C. Regression
• D. Denial

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is a defense mechanism where a person shifts their own unacceptable feelings onto someone else. This is projection: you feel anger, guilt, or envy but instead of owning those feelings, you attribute them to another person. By attributing what you don’t want to admit about yourself onto someone else, you protect yourself from facing those uncomfortable emotions.

For example, if someone feels secretly jealous of a friend's success, they might accuse the friend of being arrogant or insecure. That externalizes the unwanted feeling and keeps the focus away from the self.

This fits best because the description centers on transferring one's own unacceptable internal state onto another person. Rationalization would involve justifying the feeling with excuses; denial would mean refusing to acknowledge the feeling at all; regression would be a retreat to earlier, childish patterns.