When confronted about her unpaid rent, Kwandra claims that the landlord is lying. Which psychological concept does this behavior illustrate?

The behavior illustrated by Kwandra when she claims that the landlord is lying in response to being confronted about her unpaid rent can be understood through the concept of a defense mechanism. Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies that individuals use to protect themselves from anxiety or uncomfortable feelings. In this situation, Kwandra may feel threatened or anxious about the implications of her unpaid rent, so she defends herself by shifting blame away from her own actions and projecting negativity onto the landlord. This response helps her avoid facing the reality of the situation, which is that she has not paid her rent.

Other concepts, like projection, denial, and rationalization, represent different ways individuals might cope with uncomfortable realities, but they are less applicable to this specific scenario. For instance, projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable feelings or thoughts to others, denial is the refusal to accept reality or facts, and rationalization is constructing a logical justification for actions that are otherwise unjustifiable. In this case, Kwandra's outright claim of dishonesty by the landlord is a form of defense mechanism rather than fitting neatly into these other definitions.