Identifying indicators of defensive activity in narration about important interpersonal relations
 
More details
Hide details
 
Submission date: 2014-09-14
 
 
Acceptance date: 2014-10-03
 
 
Online publication date: 2014-10-23
 
 
Publication date: 2014-10-23
 
 
Current Issues in Personality Psychology 2014;2(3):149-163
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background
One of the main components of psychological conversation that influence communication is psychological defensiveness. 
In the paper I propose processual – situational understanding of defensiveness, and its measurement based on coding system. Preliminary results on link between personality traits and defensiveness in people’s narratives are presented as well.

Participants and procedure
To test proposed coding system, study was conducted with participants presenting different levels of personality organization’s (borderline: n = 35, 20 women, M = 26.09, SD = 4.82, neurotic: n = 29, 24 women, M = 25.90, SD = 5.25, integrated: n = 31, 26 women, M = 21.94, SD = 1.69). Correlation method was applied (Borderline Personality Inventory, Neuroticism Scale, Emotion Control Inventory), as well as narrative’s interviews. Participants’ statements were coded by competent judges (defensiveness and coherence of narratives), and by automatic lexical analyses (descriptive indicators).

Results
Results indicate that proposed defensiveness coding system is a set of heterogeneous indicators, and four groups of indicators could be extracted. Correlations between those indicators and expression control (positive relation), and coherence of narratives (negative relation). Moreover, differences between borderline participants and neurotic ones emerged.

Conclusions
Proposed coding system seems to be a heterogeneous but useful tool for assessing defensiveness during psychological interviews. It could be applied as an element of a procedural control measures, directed to test the reliability of psychological conversation.
 
REFERENCES (65)
1.
Baerger, D. R., & McAdams, D. P. (1999). Life story coherence and its relation to psychological well-being. Narrative Inquiry, 9, 69-96.
 
2.
Becker, J. A. H., Ellevold, B., & Stamp, G. H. (2008). The creation of defensiveness in social interaction ii: a model of defensive communication among romantic couples. Communication Monographs, 75, 86-110. DOI: 10.1080/03637750701885415.
 
3.
Berney, S., de Roten, Y., Beretta, V., Kramer, U., & Despland, J. N. (2014). Identifying psychotic defenses in a clinical interview. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70, 428-439. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22087.
 
4.
Blaya, C., Dornelles, M., Blaya, R., Kipper, L., Heldt, E., Isolan, L., & Bond, M. (2007). Brazilian-Portuguese version of defensive style questionnaire-40 for the assessment of defense mechanisms: construct validity study. Psychotherapy Research, 17, 261-272. DOI: 10.1080/10503300500485581.
 
5.
Bond, M. (2004). Empirical studies of defense style: relationships with psychopathology and change. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 12, 263-278. DOI: 10.1080/10673220490886167.
 
6.
Bond, M., & Perry, J. Ch. (2004). Long-term changes in defense styles with psychodynamic psychotherapy for depressive, anxiety, and personality disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 1665-1667.
 
7.
Bowins, B. (2010). Personality disorders: a dimensional defense mechanism approach. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 64, 153-169.
 
8.
Brandt, M. J., & Henry, P. J. (2012). Psychological defensiveness as a mechanism explaining the relationship between low socioeconomic status and religiosity. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 22, 321-332. DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2011.646565.
 
9.
Brzezińska, A., & Brzeziński, J. (2004). Skale szacunkowe w badaniach diagnostycznych [Rating scales in diagnosis]. In: J. Brzeziński (ed.), Metodologia badań psychologicznych. Wybór tekstów [Methodology of psychological research] (pp. 232-306). Warszawa: PWN.
 
10.
Cierpiałkowska, L. (2001). Adaptacja Kwestionariusza Osobowości Borderline F. Leichsenringa [Leichsenring’ s Borderline Personality Inventory]. Unpublished manual.
 
11.
Cramer, P. (1998a). Defense mechanisms manual. Retrieved from: http://web.williams.edu/Psycho... [29.04.2014].
 
12.
Cramer, P. (1998b). Defensiveness and defense mechanisms. Journal of Personality, 66, 879-894.
 
13.
Cramer, P. (2009). Seven pillars of defense mechanism theory. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Rapaport-Klein Study Group, Austen Riggs Center, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
 
14.
Crocker, J., Niija, Y., & Mischkowski, D. (2008). Why does writing about important values reduce defensiveness? Psychological Science, 19, 740.
 
15.
Davison, K., & McGregor, M. W. (1998). A critical appraisal of self-report defense mechanism measures. Journal of Personality, 66, 965-992.
 
16.
Dimaggio, G., Salvatore, G., Azzara, C., Catania, D., Semerari, A., & Hermans, H. (2003). Dialogical relationships in impoverished narratives: from theory to clinical practice. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 76, 385-409.
 
17.
Dimaggio, G., Semerari, A., Carcione, A., Nicolo, G., & Procacci, M. (2007). The perpetuation of personality disorders: a model. In: G. Dimaggio, A. Semerari, A. Carcione, G. Nicolo, & M. Procacci (eds.), Psychotherapy of personality disorders metacognition, states of mind and interpersonal cycles. London; New York: Routledge.
 
18.
Draguns, J. G. (2004). Defense mechanisms in the clinic, the laboratory, and the social world: toward closing the gaps. In: U. Hentschel, G. Smith, J. G. Draguns, & W. Ehlers (eds.), Defense mechanisms. New York: Elsevier.
 
19.
Dweck, C. S., & Elliott-Moskwa, E. S. (2010). Self-theories: the roots of defensiveness. In: J. E. Maddux, & J. P. Tangney (eds.), Social psychological foundations of clinical psychology. New York: Guilford Press.
 
20.
Eysenck, S. B. G., Eysenck, H. J., & Barrett, P. (1985). A revised version of the psychoticism scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 6, 21-29.
 
21.
Feldman Barret, L., Williams, N. L., & Fong, G. T. (2002). Defensive verbal behavior assessment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 776-788.
 
22.
Flick, U. (2010). Jakość w badaniach jakościowych [Quality in qualitative research]. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
 
23.
Gold, S. N., & Castillo, Y. (2010). Dealing with defenses and defensiveness in interviews. In: D. L. Segal, & M. Hersen (eds.), Diagnostic interviewing. New York: Springer.
 
24.
Gould, J. R., Prentice, N. M., & Ainslie, R. C. (1996). The splitting index scale: construction of a scale measuring the defense mechanism of splitting. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 414-430.
 
25.
Górska, D. (2013). Emotions (un)expressed in words: referential activity in borderline personality disorder. Acta Neuropsychologica, 11, 143-160.
 
26.
Haan, N. (1965). Coping and defense mechanisms related to personality inventories. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 29, 373-378.
 
27.
Hentshel U., Draguns, J. G., Ehlers, W., & Smith, G. (2004). Defense mechanisms: current approaches to research and measurement. In: U. Hentschel, G. Smith, J. G. Draguns, & W. Ehlers (eds.), Defense mechanisms. New York: Elsevier.
 
28.
Hibbard, S., Porcerelli, J., Kamoo, R., Schwartz, M., & Abell, S. (2010). Defense and object relational maturity on Thematic Apperception Test scales indicate levels of personality organization. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92, 241-253. DOI: 10.1080/00223891003670190.
 
29.
Juczyński, Z. (2001). Narzędzia pomiaru w promocji i psychologii zdrowia [Measurement tools in promotion of health psychology]. Warszawa: Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych.
 
30.
Juni, S. (1998). The defense mechanisms inventory: theoretical and psychometric implications. Current Psychology, 17, 313-332.
 
31.
Kernberg, O. F. (2004). Borderline personality disorder and borderline personality organization: psychopathology and psychotherapy. In: J. J. Magnavita (ed.), Handbook of personality disorders theory and practice. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley.
 
32.
Kernberg, O. F., & Caligor, E. (2005). A psychoanalytic theory of personality disorder. In: M. F. Lenzenweger, & J. F. Clarkin (eds.), Major theories of personality disorders. London: Guilford Press.
 
33.
Kernis, M. H., Lakey, C. E., & Heppner, W. L. (2008). Secure versus fragile high self-esteem as a predictor of verbal defensiveness: converging findings across three different markers. Journal of Personality, 76, 477-512. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00493.x.
 
34.
Kline, P. (2004). A critical perspective on defense mechanisms. In: U. Hentschel, G. Smith, J. G. Draguns, & W. Ehlers (eds.), Defense mechanisms. New York: Elsevier.
 
35.
Kramer, U. (2010). Coping and defence mechanisms: what’s the difference? – Second act. Psychology and psychotherapy: theory, research and practice, 83, 207-221.
 
36.
Kramer, U., de Roten, Y., Michel, L., & Despland, J. N. (2009). Early change in defence mechanisms and coping in short-term dynamic psychotherapy: relations with symptoms and alliance. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16, 408-417. doi: 10.1002/cpp.616.
 
37.
Kramer, U., de Roten, Y., Perry, J. Ch., & Despland, J.-N. (2013). Beyond splitting: observer-rated defense mechanisms in borderline personality disorder. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30, 3-15. DOI: 10.1037/a0029463.
 
38.
Kvale, S. (2011). Prowadzenie wywiadów [Conducting interviews]. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
 
39.
Lambird, K. H., & Mann, T. (2006). When do ego threats lead to self-regulation failure? Negative consequences of defensive high self-esteem. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1177-1187. doi: 10.1177/0146167206289408.
 
40.
Leichsenring, F. (1999). Development and first results of the Borderline Personality Inventory: a self-report instrument for assessing borderline personality organization. Journal of Personality Assessment, 73, 45-63.
 
41.
Lemke, J. L. (1998). Analyzing verbal data: principles, methods, and problems. In: K. Tobin, & B. Fraser (eds.), International handbook of science education. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
 
42.
Łobos, A. (2003). Język czasopism i programów telewizyjnych dla dzieci [Language of journals and TV programs for children]. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.
 
43.
Mandler, G., Mandler, J. M., Kremen, I., & Sholton, R. D. (1961). The response to threat: Relations among verbal and physiological indices. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 25, 1-22.
 
44.
McWilliams, N. (2009). Diagnoza psychoanalityczna [Psychoanalytic diagnosis]. Gdańsk: GWP.
 
45.
Myers, L. B. (2010). The importance of the repressive coping style: findings from 30 years of research. Anxiety Stress Coping, 23, 3-17. DOI: 10.1080/10615800903366945.
 
46.
Nelson, K. L., Bein, E., Huemer, J., Ryst, E., & Steiner, H. (2009). Listening for avoidance: narrative form and defensiveness in adolescent memories. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 40, 561-573. DOI: 10.1007/s10578-009-0144-y.
 
47.
Nęcki, Z. (2000). Komunikacja międzyludzka [Communication between people]. Kraków: Antykwa.
 
48.
Obrębska, M., & Obrębski, T. (2010). Charakterystyka wybranych cech wypowiedzi osób chorych na schizofrenię. Analiza porównawcza z wykorzystaniem Wskaźników Stylów Mówienia Suitberta Ertela. Wstępne doniesienie z badań [Characteristics of selected features of speech of individuals with schizophrenia. Comparative analysis using the Suitbert Ertel’s indicators speaking styles. Preliminary research report]. Current Problems of Psychiatry, 11, 11-19.
 
49.
Pavey, L. J., & Sparks, P. (2012). Autonomy and defensiveness: experimentally increasing adaptive responses to health-risk information via priming and self-affirmation. Psychological Health, 27, 259-276. DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2011.556251.
 
50.
Pennebaker, J. W., & Seagal, J. D. (1999). Forming a story: the health benefits of narrative. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55, 1243-1254.
 
51.
Perry, J. Ch. (2001). A pilot study of defenses in adults with personality disorders entering psychotherapy. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 189, 651-660.
 
52.
Perry, J. Ch., & Henry, M. (2004). Studying defense mechanisms in psychotherapy using the Defense Mechanism Rating Scale. In: U. Hentschel, G. Smith, J. G. Draguns, & W. Ehlers (eds.), Defense mechanisms. Theoretical, research and clinical perspectives (Vol. 126, pp. 165-192). London: Elsevier.
 
53.
Picano, J. J., Roland, R. R., Williams, T. J., & Rollins, K. D. (2006). Sentence Completion Test Verbal Defensiveness as a predictor of success in military personnel selection. Military Psychology, 18, 207-218.
 
54.
Schauenburg, H., Willenborg, V., Sammet, I., & Ehrenthal, J. C. (2007). Self-reported defense mechanisms as an outcome measure in psychotherapy: a study on the German version of the Defence Style Questionnaire DSQ 40. Psychol Psychother, 80, 355-366. DOI: 10.1348/147608306X146068.
 
55.
Shedler, J., Mayman, M., & Melvin, M. (1993). The illusion of mental health. American Psychologist, 48, 1117-1131.
 
56.
Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2002). Accepting threatening information: self-affirmation and the reduction of defensive biases. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 119.
 
57.
Silverman, D. (2008). Prowadzenie badań jakościowych [Conducting qualitative research]. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
 
58.
Sinha, B. K., & Watson, D. C. (2004). Personality disorder clusters and the Defence Style Questionnaire. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 77, 55-66.
 
59.
Soroko, E. (2013). Kwestionariusz inklinacji autonarracyjnej (IAN-R) – pomiar skłonności do narracyjnego opracowywania i relacjonowania doświadczenia [Tendency to narrative elaboration and narrative reporting of experience]. Studia Psychologiczne, 51, 5-18.
 
60.
Soroko, E. (2014). Aktywność autonarracyjna osób z różnym poziomem organizacji osobowości. Opowieści o bliskich związkach [Self-narratives of people with different levels of personality organization. Stories about close relationships]. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.
 
61.
Stemplewska-Żakowicz, K. (2005). Metoda wywiadu w psychologii [Psychological interview]. In: K. Stemplewska-Żakowicz, & K. Krejtz (eds.), Wywiad psychologiczny – wywiad jako postępowanie badawcze [Psychological interview – an interview as a research procedure]. Warszawa: Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych.
 
62.
Trevithick, P. (2011). Understanding defences and defensiveness in social work. Journal of Social Work Practice, 25, 389-412. DOI: 10.1080/02650533.2011.626642.
 
63.
Vaillant, G. E. (1994). Ego mechanisms of defense and personality psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 44-50.
 
64.
Vehvilainen, S. (2008). Identifying and managing resistance in psychoanalytic interaction. In: A. Perakyla, Ch. Antaki, S. Vehvilainen, & I. Leudar (eds.), Conversation analysis and psychotherapy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 
65.
Weinberger, D. A., & Davidson, M. N. (1994). Styles of inhibiting emotional expression: Distinguishing repressive coping from impression management. Journal of Personality, 62, 587-613.
 
Copyright: © Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk This is an Open Access journal, all articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
eISSN:2353-561X
ISSN:2353-4192
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top