For a wife expressing her value through dishes despite cooking skills, which psychological concept is she demonstrating?

In this scenario, the wife is exhibiting the psychological concept of compensation. Compensation occurs when an individual makes up for a deficiency in one area by emphasizing or enhancing another area where they feel more competent or have more control. In this case, even though she may perceive her cooking skills as lacking, she is expressing her value and self-worth through the effort and care put into her dishes. This allows her to highlight aspects of her personality and strengths that she feels confident about, thereby compensating for her perceived shortcoming in cooking.

Recognizing her limitations in one area, she channels her energy into making the presentation of her dishes significant, which showcases her attention to detail, creativity, and thoughtfulness. Thus, she effectively compensates for any perceived inadequacies and reinforces her sense of identity and value through her choices in presentation.