https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.2005.21.34
In the last thirty years many empirical studies on defense mechanisms have been carried out which considerably increased our knowledge concerning this aspect of the psychic life. The purpose of the present paper is to outlined main directions of theoretical reflection and empirical research conducted in the psychodynamic psychiatry research tradition where psychoanalytical conception of defenses is assumed. Because of that there are not discussed here problems connected to cognitive or learning theory conceptions of defense processes. After explanation of the concept of defense mechanism the issues of number and classification of defenses and principal methods of measurement are discussed. Subsequently, the results of studies concerning development and connections to mental illnesses of defense mechanisms, and relation of defenses to such personal variables as sex, ethnical background and family climate in childhood are presented.
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