Mature and immature defenses. A study of repressors and trait anxiety groups

Carlsson, Ingegerd (author): Lund University,Lunds universitet,Institutionen för psykologi,Samhällsvetenskapliga institutioner och centrumbildningar,Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten,Department of Psychology,Departments of Administrative, Economic and Social Sciences,Faculty of Social Sciences

Neuman, Fredrik (author)

Smith, Gudmund (editor)

Carlsson, Ingegerd (editor)

(creator_code:org_t)

2008
2008
English.
In: Process and Personality. Actualization of the personal world with process-oriented methods. - 9783938793893 ; , s. 127-142

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Abstract Subject headings

To investigate defense mechanisms, repressors (n= 14), highly anxious (n = 37) and low anxious (n = 7) groups were tested with the Meta Contrast Technique (Smith, Johnson, Almgren & Johanson, 2001). The division into repressors and anxiety groups was made on a larger group (N = 140), which was also investigated with respect to experienced access to preconscious processes, here operationalized as memory for dreams. Results: The repressors got higher scores on immature defense mechanisms than the highly or low anxious groups (p = .04 versus p < .05). The repressors as well as the highly anxious group were higher on a measure of overall defense than the low anxious group (p < .05 in both comparisons). Regarding the separate defense categories, a significant difference was found for repression, which was more frequent in the highly anxious than in the low anxious group (p = .003). Memory for dreams differed only in the men. The male repressors scored significantly lower on dream memory than the highly anxious men (p < .02). The immature defensive structure in the repressors was discussed in terms of regressive reactions, speculatively due to a lack of symbolic functioning concerning anxiety-arousing areas, i.e. alexithymia.

About the subject

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