What Is Reaction Formation? Definition, Psychology, Theory, And Applications
Many of us have used reaction formation as a defense mechanism before, but since the term isn’t often used in our daily vernacular, many of us may not know what it means or how to identify it. So, what exactly is reaction formation? Why do we use it?
Overview: About reaction formation
Reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which you act in a way that is opposite to your actual or initial impulse, desire, or feelings. Particularly, this occurs when someone finds their true thoughts and feelings anxiety-inducing or unacceptable, whether to themselves, society, the people around them, or all the above.
The definition of “reaction formation” provided on vocabulary.com is “a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously develops attitudes and behavior that are the opposite of unacceptable repressed desires and impulses and serve to conceal them.”
We all use defense mechanisms, and you may or may not be able to think of a time when you’ve used this one. It can be used on a smaller scale or a larger, more impactful one. For example, think of a time when you were a child and you or someone you knew pretended not to like something (such as a movie or a toy) because the other kids said it was “for babies,” and you wanted to fit in. You internalized that it was unacceptable to enjoy that thing, so you acted as though you hated it. Maybe you even made fun of the toy or movie - or the children who enjoyed it - with the other kids.
On a larger, more significant scale, say that you have a political view opposite your family’s. Your family called people with said political views “overly sensitive,” so to avoid judgment and othering, you advocate against your own beliefs. Maybe, you even advocate against your rights.
An associated concept with reaction formations is overboard. Overboard is commonly observed in a reaction formation. When we act to cover up feelings we don’t like, we tend to “go overboard” in our response. For example, if we are ashamed of how much we want to eat dessert, rather than say we don’t want any cake, we get upset and talk about how the cake is bad, how no one should want cake, and how eating cake is irresponsible.
When is reaction formation harmful?
Most of the time, the root of reaction formation is the belief that our genuine, authentic thoughts, feelings, ideas, or even identities, are bad, wrong or something scary for us to be or show. These beliefs may come from society at large, or they may come from a specific group you’re in, such as a religious group, a political party, the area you live in, or your family.
It can be scary to go against the grain, particularly if you learn that your feelings and ideas aren’t acceptable from a group that you’re a part of or want to be a part of. It may be all that you’ve ever known, or you may fear being shunned. Our reactions and views don’t form themselves in a vacuum. Sometimes, we’re aware of that, and sometimes, we aren’t.
Unfortunately, there are times when reaction formation does harm. For example, say that you grew up in a family where people of a lower socioeconomic status than yours were looked down on. Maybe your family made assumptions and spoke negatively when they saw someone homeless or otherwise in need. You don’t agree with this, but instead, you say the same things to fit in with your family.
Even in the example of someone rejecting cake and saying that it’s “bad” to eat cake, harm can be done. For example, if a child overhears this, they may feel “bad” for liking cake. Or, if a child hears that a toy they’d like is “for babies” and their group rejects that toy, so they bully other kids with that interest, there is harm.
It can also be personally harmful; authenticity is a known predictor of positive mental health. Knowing this, reaction formation may be a defense mechanism that you want to challenge and work through.
How does reaction formation occur?
Reaction formations occur for many reasons that depend on the person and circumstances, but some elements make them much more likely. First, because of the shame, fear, and confusion that typically motivates the defensive response in the first place, issues that threaten our desire to belong to a group (whether that group is family, a group of high or higher-status individuals, the people who attend the same church or school as you, or something else) and society are common areas for a reaction formation. Second, the more emotionally charged the issue, and the less room for ambiguity in the choice, the more potential there is for reaction formation.
People are typically unconsciously motivated to experience reaction formation because of guilt, fear, or confusion. We may be afraid to be wholly who we are or wish to be in front of other people. Sometimes we have impulses or ideas that scare us, and make us think, “People would NOT accept me if I did that.”
Shameful thoughts and feelings can be profoundly alienating. We are all driven to form bonds of fellowship, and it can be painful to feel alone. When we have thoughts and ideas that make us feel like they may cause us to lose those we care about or have less connection with them, we are more likely to deny those ideas and feelings than accept them.
What can influence reaction formation?
Possible influences of reaction formation include:
Cultural Identity - The cultures we grow up in intend to influence our beliefs and reactions, sometimes in a way that doesn’t align with our true thoughts as an individual. Even within one’s culture, beliefs can vary.
Social Norms - A social norm refers to actions, behaviors, and thought processes deemed typical within the society one lives in. Although social norms may differ from area to area, group to group, and so on, none of us live without exposure to social norms of some kind. This is why it is important to reject and push back against harmful social norms.
Family Issues - Parents feeling guilty about their relationship with their children, siblings feeling judgmental about their sibling’s choices, conflict with in-laws; all of these situations and more are ripe for reaction formation as a defense mechanism against conflict.
Reaction formation is just one of many possible defense mechanisms that can show up in a person’s life. Regression, projection, and denial are also common defense mechanisms you might’ve heard of, and they can sometimes pair with reaction formation.
How can you identify reaction formation?
As with many things that have to do with the mind, reaction formation can be difficult to identify. It’s wrapped up in questions of motivation, desire, and intent, all of which require self-awareness and honesty on the part of the acting individual to assess properly. If someone angrily rails against something, it’s not necessarily because they secretly want that thing, and they may never admit it even if they do.
This is also why a reaction formation is more likely when the desire is partly or wholly subconscious. Dealing with embarrassing emotions is hard enough, but it becomes harder to do it with others when you don’t know how to describe them yourself. Also, if someone acts like they hate something, we’re more likely to assume they hate it than assume deep down they love it.
All of this is even further complicated because reaction formation is a response to thoughts that we feel negatively about. Fear, shame, and confusion are some of the primary motivators for reaction formation. Because we all experience those feelings for different reasons, it’s hard to know for sure what’s going on.
The good news is that noticing reaction formation is the first step to breaking it. Deep down, you might be aware that you’re saying or doing something you don’t believe in. Though it can take time and bravery to acknowledge this, that’s the first step for many people.
What can you do about reaction formation?
Typically, when people learn what reaction formation is, they can think of at least one example in their own lives. As strange as it may sound, we don’t always make the best choices to advance our interests and wellbeing, and we can even make choices that work completely counter to what we want. Fear, shame, and confusion can lead us down that path, but it’s possible to break through.
Reaction formation, like all defense mechanisms, is something that none of us are immune to. It can happen to anyone, and it doesn’t mean that you are a bad person. No matter what you’ve said in the past, as a human being, you don’t need to maintain the same beliefs or stances for your entire life. People are allowed to grow and change.
Therapy is an excellent place to address reaction formation and any other defense mechanisms or concerns showing up in your life.
Learn more about reaction formation and defense mechanisms in therapy
We all grow up with influence from someone, and we continue to hear from many sources of influence for the rest of our lives. Sometimes, the way we are influenced is subtle, but it can be overt and clear in other ways. Culturally competent therapists, therapists who work with people of specific religions, LGBTQIA+ affirming therapists, and therapists with other backgrounds or areas of knowledge are out there. This can help make therapy a safe space, especially if one of these things informs your experience in the world.
It’s brave to go against the grain, and it’s something to be proud of. After all, it’s often how we make positive changes in the world and live with authenticity. A therapist can help support you in this process or address any other concerns you might face, such as those related to life stress and relationships. You can find a therapist near you or sign up for an online therapy platform like Regain with licensed mental health professionals. Regain makes it easier to start getting the support you need fast, and the providers on the platform extend both individual and couples counseling options. To get started, all you have to do is sign up and complete a quick questionnaire that’ll help you match with a provider who fits your needs.
Online therapy has been found to work just as well as in-person therapy. The National Center for Health Research conducted an in-depth meta-analysis of online therapy efficacy, finding it to be an effective, affordable, and convenient option for treating a variety of mental health issues and concerns, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, trauma, grief, and more.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is an example of reaction formation?
Earlier in this article, reaction formation psychology was described with an example of someone who strongly reacts to someone else eating cake because the former was ashamed of wanting to eat desserts.
Here is another example. Suppose you are terrified of roller coasters, but your friend wants you to go with them. You don't want to go, but even more, you are ashamed of what you see as cowardice in yourself. These feelings of shame may lead to rationalization, reaction formation, or other defense mechanisms. In the case of reaction formation, you might overreact by suggesting you do something extremely dangerous. Your verbal reaction is an over-the-top insistence that you do something that others might think is risky. And if you follow with a behavior reaction, you might put yourself into a life-threatening situation.
Here is an example of reaction formation psychology that shows bad behavior towards someone else. Imagine that you had strong romantic feelings for someone. Yet, you fear that the person you are attracted to will reject you. What you want is to be with them. But rather than talk to them and try to get to know them, you make fun of them and even begin to bully them. You don't even realize what you are doing to them or why you are doing it. You are just overreacting to a fear you might not even know is there.
What is reaction formation in psychology?
Reaction formation psychology refers to an overreaction when someone is ashamed, afraid, or confused about something.
In many books and articles, reaction formation psychology has been explained over the years. The first to describe defense mechanisms like denial, rationalization, reaction formation, and others was Sigmund Freud. Later, his daughter Anna and others studied reaction formation psychology further. As such, reaction formation began as a part of psychoanalytic theory. However, after that, the theory of defense mechanisms like rationalization, reaction formation, and others was so helpful for patients that psychologists used this theory in nearly every other type of therapy.
What is a reaction formation mechanism?
A reaction formation mechanism is a defense mechanism. It typically stems from a fear of being rejected or misunderstood for having a viewpoint, belief, hobby, etc. that differs from those around you. This can result in pretending to believe in or enjoy different things than you actually do in an attempt to “fit in.”
What is the difference between projection and reaction formation?
Reaction formation means overreacting to something by doing the opposite of what you feel. On the other hand, projection means accusing others of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that you are guilty of yourself.
Sometimes, reaction formation psychology is compared to projection and other defense mechanisms in an online blog or article. Or in a scholarly article, reaction formation psychology is discussed in high-level scientific terms. But working one-on-one with a therapist is an effective way to get a reliable, accurate, and easy-to-apply understanding of reaction formation.
Most people don't realize they are experiencing reaction formation until they learn to evaluate their thoughts and behaviors. Until you work with a counselor to get practice in identifying it, it may seem like just another theory. But once you can recognize when it happens to you or someone else, you will likely realize that reaction formation is very common.
What causes reaction formation?
Reaction formation often happens as a defense to your ego. Alternatively, it can happen out of the desire or need to fit in.
Living with other people in your family, with your friends, or in your community who hold different beliefs than you and who belittle those who are different from them can threaten your feelings of being a good, strong, or capable person. Or you have a reaction formation because you don't want to admit to yourself that you have feelings you don't want to have, like fear or shame.
Being self-critical is far from a mentally healthy attitude. On the other hand, you need to recognize and admit your faults to overcome them or accept yourself as you are, whichever is best for you.
What are the five common defense mechanisms?
The five common defense mechanisms are:
- Rationalization – giving yourself or others excuses for your faults or failures
- Compensation – pushing yourself to superior performance because you want to cover up your failures
- Regression – reverting to an earlier or more youthful stage of development.
- Denial – saying or thinking the opposite of reality
- Displacement – putting your feelings about somebody onto another person
Reaction formation is another common defense mechanism, though it's often harder to recognize. After all, reaction formation psychology may seem simple at first, but it isn't always so easy when you try to apply your knowledge and distinguish it from other defense mechanisms. So, it might be that this defense mechanism is just as common as the others, but people don't notice it as much.
What are the 12 defense mechanisms?
The 12 defense mechanisms identified by Sigmund Freud are:
- Compensation – overdoing something to make up for not being good at something else.
- Displacement – expressing your uncomfortable thoughts or feelings onto something besides the subject of those thoughts and feelings.
- Introjection – conforming to standards you don't agree with to avoid being noticed.
- Reaction formation – hiding thoughts and feelings you find unacceptable by doing the opposite.
- Regression – acting like someone less mature than you to feel less threatened or threatening.
- Ritual and undoing – trying to undo bad behavior through ritual practices or positive behaviors.
- Sublimation – transforming negative thoughts and feelings into more beneficial behaviors, such as creating a work of art to express your angry feelings.
- Repression – hiding something about yourself from your conscious mind because it would be difficult to face.
- Rationalization – using excuses to try to avoid feeling bad or facing the consequences of your actions.
- Projection – attributing the negative thoughts and feelings about yourself to someone else.
- Identification – associating yourself with something that you idealize.
- Denial – saying or thinking something true of you isn't true just because you can't accept that you're not perfect.
So, reaction formation psychology is just a small part of the larger theory of defense mechanisms. If you recognize any of these defense mechanisms in your own life, consider whether they are causing significant problems for you. If so, you can talk about any of these mechanisms and other mental health problems with a therapist.
What is an example of ego?
One of the ideas in defense mechanism and reaction formation psychology is the concept of ego. In Freud's theory, he describes the mind as divided into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego.
The id is the pleasure-seeking part of your mind. The superego is the part that tells you what you should do. The ego is the conscious part of yourself, which can mediate between the id and the superego.
However, just because your ego is your conscious self doesn't mean that it's always rational or in charge.
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