What defense mechanism involves returning to more primitive modes of coping during grief?

The correct answer is regression. This defense mechanism refers to the psychological process in which an individual reverts to an earlier stage of development when faced with stress or trauma, such as grief. During grief, someone may exhibit behaviors typical of a younger age, as a means of coping with overwhelming emotions. This might include seeking comfort through childlike actions, avoiding responsibilities, or expressing emotions in a more infantile manner.

In the context of grief, regression can manifest through behaviors such as throwing tantrums, needing excessive comfort, or displaying dependency on others, as the individual attempts to retreat to a state that feels safer and less burdensome. This is seen as a natural response that allows a person to navigate the emotional turmoil that accompanies loss.

Other options like repression, denial, and displacement represent different mechanisms of coping and do not specifically involve this return to earlier developmental stages. Repression involves unconsciously blocking disturbing thoughts from awareness; denial is about refusing to accept reality; and displacement involves redirecting emotional responses from one object to another. Each of these serves a different purpose and shows distinct behaviors compared to regression.