Which defense mechanism involves redirecting harmful emotions towards something less threatening?

Displacement is the defense mechanism that involves redirecting harmful emotions and impulses away from their original source and towards a safer, less threatening target. This often occurs when an individual feels frustration or aggression but is unable to express these feelings directly towards the person or situation responsible for them. For example, someone who has had a stressful day at work may come home and take out their frustrations on family members or pets instead. This redirection helps the individual avoid direct confrontation and the anxiety associated with expressing their feelings towards the actual source of their distress.

Comparatively, repression involves unconsciously burying distressing thoughts and feelings, while denial entails refusing to accept reality or facts. Sublimation, on the other hand, is a more constructive mechanism where individuals channel their impulses into socially acceptable activities. Both of these mechanisms serve different purposes and do not specifically involve the act of redirecting emotions towards a less threatening target in the way displacement does.