Which of the following is the direct method of adjustment?

Concept: Psychologists classify adjustment mechanisms into direct methods -- actions that change the actual situation, such as adjusting one's effort, reaching a compromise, or replacing a blocked goal with a different, attainable one -- and indirect methods (ego-defense mechanisms), first described by Freud, which reduce the discomfort of a conflict without changing the real situation that caused it.

Applying it here: Substitution of Goals is a direct method -- when the original goal cannot be reached, the person takes up a different, attainable goal in its place, so the underlying need is genuinely addressed through a new, realistic target. Regression (reverting to behaviour typical of an earlier developmental stage), Repression (excluding distressing thoughts or impulses from awareness), and Projection (attributing one's own unacceptable feelings or impulses to another person) are all classic ego-defense mechanisms -- they change how the conflict is experienced internally, not the situation that produced it.

Cross-check: apply the test -- does the mechanism change something in the real situation, or only the person's internal experience of it? Substitution of Goals changes the actual target being pursued, which is why it is the direct method among the four; Regression, Repression, and Projection each leave the original obstacle untouched and only alter the internal handling of the resulting discomfort.