The answer is D, projection. Coping mechanisms, or defense mechanisms, are ideas that first began with Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis, and continue to be useful clinical and therapeutic concepts. They represent unconscious or involuntary behaviors that are thought to (at least temporarily) relieve anxiety or stress by providing a “defense” or “protection” for one’s sense of self. Lower level defense mechanisms are ultimately harmful to the person engaging in the behaviors. Mature defense mechanisms may be more productive and therapeutic for the person. This man is “projecting” his undesired thoughts and feelings onto his wife instead of confronting them in himself. A) reaction formation is taking an unwanted impulse or desire and acting out what would be the opposite desie. Denial is what it sounds like; denial of reality to avoid psychic pain. Displacement refers to when someone has unwanted feelings/desires/impulses in one situation, but does not act on them there, and instead subconsciously brings those feelings/desires/impulses to another unrelated situation and acts on them. For example, a person who is upset at their boss comes home and yells at their spouse.

Publication reference : Vaillant GE. Involuntary coping mechanisms: a psychodynamic perspective. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 2011;13(3):366-370.
Reference URL: https://www.ncb.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3182012/