Elizabeth has a crush on Jason. When her friends tell her that they know she likes Jason, Elizabeth goes overboard telling her friends why she would never like Jason. Which defense mechanism explains Elizabeth's behavior?

Answer: Reaction formation is a mechanism that explains Elizabeth's behavior.

Explanation:

Reaction formation is a term that psychologists use for a defense mechanism in which people, convinced that their true feelings are socially unacceptable, try to deny their feelings and prove to themselves and others that the opposite is true. In doing so, they tend to exaggerate. However, reaction formation is not always a conscious action, but a coping mechanism we employ when we have troubles to integrate certain trait into our personality. Elizabeth, in this case, thinks that she will be mocked by others if she confesses her feelings for Jason, which is why she denies that she likes him. This defense mechanism falls under the category of Level 3 neurotic defense mechanisms, together with displacement, dissociation, intellectualization and repression.