Study of the measurement of defense style using Bond's Defense Style Questionnaire

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1998 Aug;52(4):419-24. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1819.1998.00410.x.

Abstract

Two hundred and seventy healthy university students were surveyed in December 1995 using Bond's Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) to measure the subjects' defense mechanisms. At the same time, a survey using Byrne's R-S Scale (Repression-Sensitization Scale) of the MMPI (Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory) and five psychiatric symptom indexes (anxiety, sense of inadequacy, sensitivity, depression and impulsive anger) selected from the CMI (Cornell Medical Index-Health Questionnaire) was conducted. Three factors were extracted from the DSQ through factor analysis: immature defenses, neurotic defenses, and mature defenses. The results of analysis of variance revealed the following: (i) for anxiety and anxiety related symptoms, both immature defenses and neurotic defenses indicated principal effect; (ii) for impulsive anger and depression, immature defenses presented principal effect; and (iii) for sensitivity and impulsive anger, interaction between a mature defense style and neurotic defense style was noted. The relationship between defense styles and psychiatric symptoms in healthy people is studied in this paper.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Defense Mechanisms*
  • Depression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Health*
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality*
  • Social Adjustment