Personality styles and defense mechanisms in a community sample of adolescents: An exploratory study

This study aimed to test if the preference for using certain types of defense mechanisms, according to Ihilevich and Gleser’s (1969, 1986) perspective, is associated with personality styles, proposed by Millon (1993), and also, aimed to test if both constructs give a contribution to the identification of global types of psychological functioning in adolescents. Eight hundred and thirty adolescents, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years (M = 16.64, SD = 1.9) participated in the study. The Portuguese versions of the Defense Mechanisms Inventory for Adolescents and the Millon Adolescents Clinical Inventory were administered. Multiple linear regression analysis and principal component analysis were computed. Results demonstrate an association between defense mechanisms and personality styles and both constructs contribute to the identification of two types of psychological functioning in adolescents: an internalizing type and an externalizing type

"Diz-me quem eu sou": um estudo sobre a relação entre traços disfuncionais da personalidade e mecanismos de defesa em adolescentes

“Diz-me quem eu sou”: Um estudo sobre a relação entre traços disfuncionais da personalidade e mecanismos de defesa em adolescentes Resumo Este trabalho teve como objetivos compreender de que forma a preferência por determinados mecanismos de defesa se associa e pode caracterizar estilos desadaptativos de personalidade e identificar tipos de funcionamento interno mais globais nos adolescentes. A amostra foi constituída por 830 adolescentes com idades compreendidas entre os 14 e os 20 anos. Foram utilizadas as versões Portuguesas do Inventário de Mecanismos de Defesa (DMI, Ihilevich & Gleser, 1986) e do Inventário Clínico para Adolescentes de Millon (MACI, Millon, 1993). Realizaram-se Análises de Regressão Linear Múltipla e uma Análise em Componentes Principais para estudar a relação entre os cinco tipos de mecanismos de defesa de acordo com o modelo de Ihilevich e Gleser (1986) e os estilos de personalidade conceptualizados de acordo com o modelo de Millon (1993). Os resultados apoiam a existência de uma associação entre tipos de mecanismos de defesa e traços disfuncionais de personalidade e corroboram a existência de dois tipos de funcionamento interno globais: de internalização e de externalização. Os resultados são discutidos numa perspetiva psicodinâmica. Palavras-chave: mecanismos de defesa, traços disfuncionais de personalidade, internalização, externalização; “Tell me who i am”: A study on the relationship between dysfunctional personality traits and defense mechanisms in adolescents Abstract This study aimed to understand how the preference for certain defense mechanisms is associated with - and may characterize - maladaptive personality styles and identify more global types of internal functioning in adolescents. The sample consisted of 830 adolescents aged 14 to 20 years. Portuguese version of the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI, Ihilevich & Gleser, 1986) and the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI, Millon, 1993) were used on this study. Multiple Regressions and Principal Component analysis were performed to study the relationship between the five types of defense mechanisms according to the model of Ihilevich and Gleser (1986) and the personality styles conceptualized according to the model of Millon (1993). The results support the existence of an association between types of defense mechanisms and dysfunctional personality traits and corroborates the existence of two global types of internal functioning: internalizing and externalizing. The results are discussed on a psychodynamic perspective. Keywords: defense mechanisms, dysfunctional personality traits, internalization, externalizatio