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An Empirically Validated Hierarchy of Defense Mechanisms

An Empirically Validated Hierarchy of Defense Mechanisms Abstract • We empirically examined the validity of ego mechanisms of defense as an explanatory concept for psychological health in 307 middle-aged men who were prospectively followed up for 40 years. Assessed on the basis of a two-hour interview when the men were 47 years old, the maturity (health) of the men's defenses correlated highly with independently assessed outcome measures. Evidence is offered that defensive style provides an independent dimension of mental health. First, childhood variables significantly predicted midlife mental health but not midlife maturity of defenses. Second, the bleaker the childhood the stronger the association of maturity of defenses with adult mental health. Third, the Bond Defense Style Questionnaire, administered to 131 of the 307 men six to eight years after the interview, identified the same styles of defense that were identified earlier by clinical assessment. References 1. Kline P: Fact and Fantasy in Freudian Theory . London, Methuen & Co Ltd, 1972. 2. Moos RH: Psychosocial techniques in the assessment of adaptive behavior , in Coelho GV, Hamburg DA, Adams JE (eds): Coping and Adaptation . New York, Basic Books Inc, 1974, pp 334-399. 3. Haan N: Proposed model of ego functioning: Coping and defense mechanisms in relationship to IQ change . Psychol Monogr 1963;77:1-23.Crossref 4. Haan N: Coping and Defending . San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc, 1977. 5. Weinstock A: Longitudinal study of social class and defense preferences . J Consult Clin Psychol 1967;31:539-541.Crossref 6. Semrad EV, Grinspoon L, Feinberg SE: Development of an ego profile scale . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1973;28:70-77.Crossref 7. Vaillant GE: Natural history of male psychological health: V. The relation of choice of ego mechanisms of defense to adult adjustment . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1976;33:535-545.Crossref 8. Vaillant GE: Adaptation to Life . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1977. 9. Battista JR: Empirical test of Vaillant's hierarchy of ego functions . Am J Psychiatry 1982;139:356-357. 10. Bond M, Gardiner ST, Christian J, Sigel JJ: An empirical examination of defense mechanisms . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;40:333-338.Crossref 11. Kolb LC: Modern Clinical Psychiatry . Philadelphia, WB Saunders Co, 1977. 12. Kaplan HI, Sadock BJ: Modern Synopsis of Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, III . Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1981. 13. Rosenhan DL, Seligman MEP: Abnormal Psychology . New York, WW Norton & Co Inc, 1984. 14. Vaillant GE, Milofsky ES: Natural history of male psychological health: IX. Empirical evidence for Erikson's model of the life cycle . Am J Psychiatry 1980;137:1348-1359. 15. Vaillant GE, Drake RE: Maturity of ego defenses in relation to DSMIII, axis II personality disorder . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1985;42:597-601.Crossref 16. Loevinger J: Ego Development . San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc, 1976. 17. Glueck S, Glueck E: Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency . New York, The Commonwealth Fund, 1950. 18. Glueck S, Glueck E: Delinquents and Nondelinquents in Perspective . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1968. 19. Hollingshead AB, Redlich FC: Social Class and Mental Illness . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1958. 20. Vaillant GE: The Natural History of Alcoholism . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1983. 21. Vaillant GE: The natural history of male psychological health: II. Some antecedents of healthy adult adjustment . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1974;31:15-22.Crossref 22. Vaillant GE, Vaillant CO: Natural history of male psychological health: X. Work as a predictor of positive mental health . Am J Psychiatry 1981;138:1433-1440. 23. Erikson E: Childhood and Society . New York, WW Norton & Co Inc, 1950. 24. Hartmann E, Milofsky E, Vaillant GE, Oldfield M, Falke R, Ducey C: Vulnerability to schizophrenia: Prediction of adult schizophrenia using childhood information . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1984;41:1050-1056.Crossref 25. Luborsky L: Clinicians' judgments of mental health . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1962;7:407-417.Crossref 26. Luborsky L, Bachrach H: Factors influencing clinicians'judgments of mental health: Eighteen experiences with the Health Sickness Rating Scale . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1974;31:292-299.Crossref 27. Vaillant GE: Theoretical hierarchy of adaptive ego mechanisms: A 30year follow-up of 30 men selected for psychological health . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1971;24:107-118.Crossref 28. Kernberg O: Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism . New York, Jason Aronson Inc, 1975. 29. Haan N: The relationship of ego functioning and intelligence to social status and social mobility . J Abnorm Social Psychol 1964;69:594-605.Crossref 30. Haan N: Coping and defense mechanisms related to personality inventories . J Consult Clin Psychol 1965;29:373-378.Crossref 31. Endicott J, Spitzer RL, Fleiss JL, Cohen J: The Global Assessment Scale: A proecedure for measuring overall severity of psychiatric disturbance . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1976;33:766-770.Crossref 32. Weinstock A: Family environment and the development of defense and coping mechanisms . J Personality Social Psychol 1967;5:67-75.Crossref 33. Bruning JL, Kintz BL: Computational Handbook of Statistics . Glenview, Ill, Scott Foresman & Co, 1977. 34. Mischel W: On the interface of cognition and personality . Am Psychol 1979;34:740-754.Crossref 35. Freud A: Normalit Internationalgy of Childhood: Assessments of Development . New York, international Universities Press, 1965. 36. Wolff CT, Friedman SB, Hofer MA, Mason JW: Relationship between psychosocial defenses and mean urinary 17-hydroxycorticoid excretion rates: I. A predictive study of parents of fatally ill children . Psychosom Med 1964;26:576-591.Crossref 37. Meissner WW, Mack JE: Theories of personality and psychopathology: Classical psychoanalysis , in Freedman AM, Kaplan HI (eds): Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry II . Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co, 1975, pp 535-536. 38. Brenner C: Defense and defense mechanisms . Psychoanal Q 1981;50:557-569. 39. Bond M, Vaillant JS: An empirical study of diagnoses and defense styles . Arch Gen Psychiatry , in press. 40. Blum G: Defense preferences in four countries . J Projective Tech 1956;20:33-41.Crossref 41. Swanson GE: Determinants of the individual's defenses against inner conflict: Review and reformulation , in Glidewell JC (ed): Parental Attitudes and Child Behavior . Springfield, Ill, Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1961. 42. Brown GW, Harris T: Social Origins of Depression . New York, Free Press, 1980. 43. Nuckolls KB, Cassel J, Kaplan BH: Psychosocial assets, life crisis and the prognosis of pregnancy . Am J Epidemiol 1972;95:431-441. 44. Magnusson D, Endler S (eds): Personality at the Crossroads . Hillside, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc, 1977. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of General Psychiatry American Medical Association

An Empirically Validated Hierarchy of Defense Mechanisms

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References (49)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0003-990X
eISSN
1598-3636
DOI
10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800080072010
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract • We empirically examined the validity of ego mechanisms of defense as an explanatory concept for psychological health in 307 middle-aged men who were prospectively followed up for 40 years. Assessed on the basis of a two-hour interview when the men were 47 years old, the maturity (health) of the men's defenses correlated highly with independently assessed outcome measures. Evidence is offered that defensive style provides an independent dimension of mental health. First, childhood variables significantly predicted midlife mental health but not midlife maturity of defenses. Second, the bleaker the childhood the stronger the association of maturity of defenses with adult mental health. Third, the Bond Defense Style Questionnaire, administered to 131 of the 307 men six to eight years after the interview, identified the same styles of defense that were identified earlier by clinical assessment. References 1. Kline P: Fact and Fantasy in Freudian Theory . London, Methuen & Co Ltd, 1972. 2. Moos RH: Psychosocial techniques in the assessment of adaptive behavior , in Coelho GV, Hamburg DA, Adams JE (eds): Coping and Adaptation . New York, Basic Books Inc, 1974, pp 334-399. 3. Haan N: Proposed model of ego functioning: Coping and defense mechanisms in relationship to IQ change . Psychol Monogr 1963;77:1-23.Crossref 4. Haan N: Coping and Defending . San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc, 1977. 5. Weinstock A: Longitudinal study of social class and defense preferences . J Consult Clin Psychol 1967;31:539-541.Crossref 6. Semrad EV, Grinspoon L, Feinberg SE: Development of an ego profile scale . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1973;28:70-77.Crossref 7. Vaillant GE: Natural history of male psychological health: V. The relation of choice of ego mechanisms of defense to adult adjustment . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1976;33:535-545.Crossref 8. Vaillant GE: Adaptation to Life . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1977. 9. Battista JR: Empirical test of Vaillant's hierarchy of ego functions . Am J Psychiatry 1982;139:356-357. 10. Bond M, Gardiner ST, Christian J, Sigel JJ: An empirical examination of defense mechanisms . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1983;40:333-338.Crossref 11. Kolb LC: Modern Clinical Psychiatry . Philadelphia, WB Saunders Co, 1977. 12. Kaplan HI, Sadock BJ: Modern Synopsis of Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, III . Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1981. 13. Rosenhan DL, Seligman MEP: Abnormal Psychology . New York, WW Norton & Co Inc, 1984. 14. Vaillant GE, Milofsky ES: Natural history of male psychological health: IX. Empirical evidence for Erikson's model of the life cycle . Am J Psychiatry 1980;137:1348-1359. 15. Vaillant GE, Drake RE: Maturity of ego defenses in relation to DSMIII, axis II personality disorder . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1985;42:597-601.Crossref 16. Loevinger J: Ego Development . San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc, 1976. 17. Glueck S, Glueck E: Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency . New York, The Commonwealth Fund, 1950. 18. Glueck S, Glueck E: Delinquents and Nondelinquents in Perspective . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1968. 19. Hollingshead AB, Redlich FC: Social Class and Mental Illness . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1958. 20. Vaillant GE: The Natural History of Alcoholism . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1983. 21. Vaillant GE: The natural history of male psychological health: II. Some antecedents of healthy adult adjustment . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1974;31:15-22.Crossref 22. Vaillant GE, Vaillant CO: Natural history of male psychological health: X. Work as a predictor of positive mental health . Am J Psychiatry 1981;138:1433-1440. 23. Erikson E: Childhood and Society . New York, WW Norton & Co Inc, 1950. 24. Hartmann E, Milofsky E, Vaillant GE, Oldfield M, Falke R, Ducey C: Vulnerability to schizophrenia: Prediction of adult schizophrenia using childhood information . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1984;41:1050-1056.Crossref 25. Luborsky L: Clinicians' judgments of mental health . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1962;7:407-417.Crossref 26. Luborsky L, Bachrach H: Factors influencing clinicians'judgments of mental health: Eighteen experiences with the Health Sickness Rating Scale . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1974;31:292-299.Crossref 27. Vaillant GE: Theoretical hierarchy of adaptive ego mechanisms: A 30year follow-up of 30 men selected for psychological health . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1971;24:107-118.Crossref 28. Kernberg O: Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism . New York, Jason Aronson Inc, 1975. 29. Haan N: The relationship of ego functioning and intelligence to social status and social mobility . J Abnorm Social Psychol 1964;69:594-605.Crossref 30. Haan N: Coping and defense mechanisms related to personality inventories . J Consult Clin Psychol 1965;29:373-378.Crossref 31. Endicott J, Spitzer RL, Fleiss JL, Cohen J: The Global Assessment Scale: A proecedure for measuring overall severity of psychiatric disturbance . Arch Gen Psychiatry 1976;33:766-770.Crossref 32. Weinstock A: Family environment and the development of defense and coping mechanisms . J Personality Social Psychol 1967;5:67-75.Crossref 33. Bruning JL, Kintz BL: Computational Handbook of Statistics . Glenview, Ill, Scott Foresman & Co, 1977. 34. Mischel W: On the interface of cognition and personality . Am Psychol 1979;34:740-754.Crossref 35. Freud A: Normalit Internationalgy of Childhood: Assessments of Development . New York, international Universities Press, 1965. 36. Wolff CT, Friedman SB, Hofer MA, Mason JW: Relationship between psychosocial defenses and mean urinary 17-hydroxycorticoid excretion rates: I. A predictive study of parents of fatally ill children . Psychosom Med 1964;26:576-591.Crossref 37. Meissner WW, Mack JE: Theories of personality and psychopathology: Classical psychoanalysis , in Freedman AM, Kaplan HI (eds): Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry II . Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co, 1975, pp 535-536. 38. Brenner C: Defense and defense mechanisms . Psychoanal Q 1981;50:557-569. 39. Bond M, Vaillant JS: An empirical study of diagnoses and defense styles . Arch Gen Psychiatry , in press. 40. Blum G: Defense preferences in four countries . J Projective Tech 1956;20:33-41.Crossref 41. Swanson GE: Determinants of the individual's defenses against inner conflict: Review and reformulation , in Glidewell JC (ed): Parental Attitudes and Child Behavior . Springfield, Ill, Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1961. 42. Brown GW, Harris T: Social Origins of Depression . New York, Free Press, 1980. 43. Nuckolls KB, Cassel J, Kaplan BH: Psychosocial assets, life crisis and the prognosis of pregnancy . Am J Epidemiol 1972;95:431-441. 44. Magnusson D, Endler S (eds): Personality at the Crossroads . Hillside, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc, 1977.

Journal

Archives of General PsychiatryAmerican Medical Association

Published: Aug 1, 1986

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