passive aggression

Meaning: Passive aggression is the indirect expression of hostility or resentment through outwardly cooperative or neutral behavior rather than open confrontation. Examples include procrastinating, deliberately doing a task poorly, sulking, the silent treatment, sarcastic praise, or "forgetting" a request. The person resists or hurts the other party while avoiding the risk of direct conflict. Some classification schemes list it as an immature defense, but it is not one of the classic Freudian mechanisms.

On the MCAT: A vignette describes someone who agrees to a request, then repeatedly arrives late or does sloppy work, and asks you to name the behavior. Answer choices often include displacement, reaction formation, and overt (direct) aggression, so match the behavior to the definition. It can also appear in questions about conflict in relationships or styles of communication, where it is contrasted with assertive and openly aggressive styles.

Common confusion: Students mix it up with displacement. Displacement redirects anger to a safer target, while passive aggression stays aimed at the real source of the anger but is expressed indirectly. Displacement changes the target; passive aggression changes the manner. It is also not simple shyness or submission, because the behavior carries hidden hostility.