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Defense Mechanisms, Behavior, and Affect in Young Adulthood
Author(s) -
Cramer Phebe
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6494.00180
Subject(s) - psychology , denial , anxiety , personality , developmental psychology , mechanism (biology) , affect (linguistics) , clinical psychology , young adult , social psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , philosophy , communication , epistemology
The relationship betweendefense mechanism use, observed behavior, and affect was investigated in a sample of 91 youngadults. Defense mechanisms were assessed using Cramer's (1991a) Defense MechanismManual for TAT stories; behavior was based on observer Q‐sort ratings (Block, 1978). Thefindings show that men and women who rely on the immature defense of denial at age 23 showmultiple signs of behavioral immaturity, as well as anxiety. In contrast, extensive use of projectionwas related to a suspicious, hyperalert personality style, including anxiety and depression, in men,but to a sociable, nonwary, nondepressed style in women. The use of the mature defense ofidentification, by women, was related to behavior characterized by maturity, social competence,and the absence of depressive symptoms.