A nurse on a mental health unit is collecting data from a client who has an anxiety disorder. Which of the following actions by the client should the nurse identify as the use of displacement?

Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies used to reduce anxiety and protect an individual from emotional distress. Displacement is a specific defense mechanism where an individual transfers emotional feeling from a threatening source to a safer or less threatening target. It is commonly seen in clients with anxiety disorders as a way of managing frustration or anger. Understanding defense mechanisms helps nurses interpret client behavior accurately and respond therapeutically. Rationale: A. Punching the bed pillow when staff denies the use of the telephone demonstrates displacement because the client redirects anger from the actual source (staff denial) onto a safer target (the pillow). This allows the expression of aggressive feelings without direct confrontation with the authority figure. It is a classic example of shifting emotional energy to a less threatening object. B. Writing a short story depicting themselves as a superhero reflects sublimation or fantasy rather than displacement. The client is channeling emotions into creative expression or idealized thinking rather than transferring anger to another target. This defense mechanism does not involve redirecting aggression toward a substitute object. C. Blaming their parent for lack of attention during childhood represents projection, where the individual attributes their own feelings or conflicts to another person. This is not displacement because the emotion is not redirected to a safer object but instead attributed to another individual as a source of blame. D. Having an aggressive outburst when meal selection is unavailable reflects direct expression of frustration rather than displacement. The emotional response is directed at the immediate situation rather than being transferred to a substitute target. This indicates poor impulse control rather than use of a defense mechanism like displacement.