期刊名称：Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology and Mental Health
电子版ISSN：2150-7937
出版年度：2007
卷号：1
期号：02
出版社：Scientific Journals International
摘要：Defense mechanisms are unconscious processes that maintain self-esteem and prevent excessive levels of negative affect. The present study examined the interpersonal similarity of defense styles (i.e., habitual use of clusters of related defense mechanisms) as well as identifying which defense styles possessed significant interpersonal content. The interpersonal circumplex (Wiggins, Phillips, & Trapnell, 1989) served as the nomological network for evaluating the interpersonal styles associated with these defenses. The only defense style found to possess substantial interpersonal content was the immature defense style. In contrast, neither the mature nor neurotic defense styles possessed substantial interpersonal content. At the level of specific defense mechanisms, a variety of immature defenses and a single mature defense were found to possess substantial interpersonal content. These findings suggest that defense styles may be at least partially distinguishable with regard to their interpersonal content.
