Which psychological strategy involves burying distressing thoughts and feelings?

Repression is a psychological strategy that involves unconsciously pushing distressing thoughts, memories, and feelings out of awareness. This mechanism serves as a defense to protect an individual from experiencing anxiety and emotional pain associated with those distressing thoughts. By burying these feelings deep in the subconscious, a person might not be aware of the thoughts influencing their behavior or emotional state, even though they can manifest in other ways.

In the context of the choices provided, repression stands out for its specific nature of dealing with past experiences or trauma that are too difficult to process consciously. It enables people to continue functioning daily despite unresolved issues that could disrupt their emotional balance.

The other strategies described, while also being defense mechanisms, operate differently. Displacement involves projecting feelings toward a less threatening object or individual, denial involves refusing to accept reality or facts, and regression refers to reverting to earlier stages of development in response to stress. Understanding these differences highlights why repression is the choice that best fits the description of burying distressing thoughts and feelings.