What defense mechanism is exemplified by intentionally avoiding thoughts of unpleasant emotions?

The correct answer is suppression. This defense mechanism involves consciously choosing to avoid thinking about or focusing on distressing thoughts or emotions. When individuals engage in suppression, they are actively aware of the unpleasant emotions but deliberately set them aside, often because they feel unable to handle them at that moment or wish to temporarily escape the discomfort they bring.

Suppression differs from other defense mechanisms such as denial, where an individual refuses to accept the reality of a situation; repression, which involves unconsciously pushing distressing thoughts out of awareness; and projection, where an individual attributes their own undesirable feelings or thoughts to someone else. By understanding suppression, one can better recognize how people manage their emotional responses in various situations.