Which of the following is characterized by an individual feeling one way but expressing the opposite?

The concept of reaction formation is a defense mechanism where an individual experiences an emotional response or feeling that is contrary to their true feelings and, as a result, expresses the opposite behavior or sentiment. This can occur when someone feels discomfort with a particular impulse or emotion, prompting them to adopt an exaggerated facade that represents the opposite.

For instance, a person who harbors intense anger towards someone might instead act overly friendly and kind to that individual. This mechanism helps to protect the individual from experiencing anxiety or discomfort associated with the true feelings, by substituting them with behaviors that are more socially acceptable or expected.

In contrast to this, suppression involves consciously pushing unwanted feelings out of awareness without embodying the opposite, while displacement refers to redirecting feelings from one object or person to another. Regression implies reverting to childlike behaviors in response to stress. None of these other mechanisms involve the conscious expression of feelings that starkly contradict one's underlining emotional state like reaction formation does.