Relationship between defense mechanisms and psychopathic traits in an Internet sample

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-282
Author(s):  
Sandra Weber ◽  
William H. Gottdiener ◽  
Cordelia Chou
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychopathic Personality ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Personality Profile ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire ◽  
Internet Sample

The authors compared the defense mechanisms used by a community sample of people with and without self-reported psychopathic traits. Defense mechanisms were assessed using the Defense Style Questionnaire-60 and psychopathy was assessed using the Levinson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in a sample of 225 adults recruited on the Internet. Results found that people with self-reported psychopathy traits used significantly more immature and neurotic defense mechanisms than people without a psychopathic personality profile. All participants reported equal use of mature defenses.

scholarly journals Can the factor structure of Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) contribute to our understanding of parental acceptance/rejection, bullying, victimization and perceived well-being in Greek early adolescents?

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodoros Giovazolias ◽  
Evangelia Karagiannopoulou ◽  
Effrosyni Mitsopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parental Acceptance ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
School Students ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity

Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) is a self-report instrument designed to measure defense mechanisms. Although commonly used, the DSQ-40 has not been validated in early adolescent populations. The present study sought to determine the factor validity of the DSQ-40 in a sample of Greek primary school students (N = 265). Further, it aimed to investigate the relationship between defense mechanisms and perceived parental acceptance/rejection, the participation in bullying (either as bully or victim) as well as self-reported well being. Participants completed the Greek version of DSQ-40, adapted for use by this particular age group as well as measures in order to examine its convergent and discriminant validity. The findings support a four-factor solution as the most adequate for our data. Further, it was found that defense mechanisms are related to perceived parental acceptance and rejection. Finally, the results showed that the DSQ-40 can effectively discriminate participants with high/low bullying/victimization and perceived well-being. Our results indicate that the DSQ-40 is appropriate for use in late childhood. Implications for clinical practice and future studies that would confirm the appropriateness of the scale’s use in younger populations are also discussed.

scholarly journals Dimensions of Psychopathic Traits in a Community Sample

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Hedwig Eisenbarth ◽  
Luna C. M. Centifanti
Keyword(s):  
Construct Validity ◽  
Antisocial Behavior ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychopathic Personality ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Psychopathic Personality Inventory ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Antisocial Personality Traits

Abstract. There are valid measures of psychopathic traits in youth, such as the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI). However, it is unclear how another self-report measure, which is based on a different conceptualization of psychopathy relates to the YPI in youth and to antisocial behavior. We therefore, compared the construct validity of two measures: the personality-based Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) and the YPI – based on adult antisocial personality traits. First, both measures showed sufficient model fit and some overlap in their variance, particularly YPI impulsive-irresponsible and grandiose-manipulative factors with PPI-R self-centered impulsivity, as well as YPI callous-unemotional with PPI-R coldheartedness. We found that although overall delinquency was correlated with PPI-R and YPI subscales, only the self-centered impulsivity factor of the PPI-R and only the Impulsive-Irresponsibility domain of the YPI were statistically predictive of self-reported antisocial behavior. Thus, the PPI-R and the YPI both show moderate construct validity and criterion validity for use among young community adults.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress after a Diagnosis of Malignant Mesothelioma in a Group of Patients and Caregivers at the National Priority Contaminated Site of Casale Monferrato

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Bonafede ◽  
Antonella Granieri ◽  
Alessandra Binazzi ◽  
Carolina Mensi ◽  
Federica Grosso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malignant Mesothelioma ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire ◽  
National Priority ◽  
Adaptive Processes

Background: Patients of malignant mesothelioma (MM) and their caregivers face significant physical and psychological challenges. The purpose of the present study is to examine the emotional impact after the diagnosis of MM in a group of patients and familial caregivers in a National Priority Contaminated Site (NPCS). Methods: A sample of 108 patients and 94 caregivers received a sociodemographic/clinical questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory II, the Davidson Trauma Scale, the Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced—New Italian Version, and the Defense style questionnaire. The risk of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in relation to the strategies of coping and defense mechanisms was estimated in patients and caregivers separately by logistic regression models. Results: For patients, a high risk of depression was associated with high usage of Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) Isolation (OR: 53.33; 95% CI: 3.22–882.30; p = 0.01) and DSQ Somatization (OR: 16.97; 95% CI: 1.04–275.90; p = 0.05). Other significant risks emerged for some coping strategies and some defenses regarding both depression and trauma in patients and caregivers. Conclusions: This research suggests that for both patients and caregivers unconscious adaptive processes have a central role in dealing with overwhelming feelings related to the disease.

Women Addiction (Alcohol and Opiates) and Defense Mechanism Style

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Raketic ◽  
M. Kovacevic ◽  
T. Djuric
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Diagnosis ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Opiate Addicts

Very few researches concerning women addictions are done up to day. This paper tries to define basic similarities and differences in defense mechanisms used by women alcohol and opiate addicts.Method:Sample of alcohol and opiate female addicts (30 patients in each group) plus control group (30 women) with no psychiatric diagnosis were questioned with Defense Style Questionnaire - DSQ 40 (Andrews, Singh, Bond, 1993).Results:There were found no statistically relevant differences between two experimental and one control group concerning mature defense mechanism use. Significant differences were found in neurotic and immature defense mechanism use: alcohol addicts use prevalently neurotic mechanisms and immature mechanisms prevail among opiate addicts.Conclusions:In our research mostly used neurotic defense mechanisms by alcohol addicts were: pseudoaltruism, idealization, and undoing. The mostly used immature defense mechanisms among opiate addicts were: phantasy, isolation, devaluation, denial and splitting.

scholarly journals Η προσκόλληση και οι μηχανισμοί άμυνας σε άτομα διεγνωσμένα με οριακή διαταραχή προσωπικότητας

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Αντώνιος Καλαματιανός ◽  
Λίσσυ Κανελλοπούλου
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire ◽  
The Past ◽  
Outpatient Departments ◽  
Attachment Model

The interest with regard to the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has increased in the past few years, because the number of people with the aforementioned diagnosis who use mental health services has risen. The study aimed at examining the defense mechanisms in people with BPD diagnosis in relation to the attachment type they adopt. Thesample consisted of 36 adult subjects diagnosed with BPD who attended psychiatric outpatient departments and 36 people who attended the ophthalmologic outpatient care at a general hospital. The adult attachment questionnaire CA-MIR and the Defense Style Questionnaire-40 were administered to the participants. In general, results are in accordance with the theoretical background, because it was demonstrated that diagnosed subjects scored higher in the insecure attachment types, that is, the ambivalent, the detached and the non-resolved, whereas the non-diagnosed scored higher in the autonomous attachment. Moreover, diagnosed subjects used more than the non-diagnosed participants the neurotic and the immature defenses,but they did not differ with respect to mature defenses. Finally, correlations between attachment and defenses were found with the exception of the mature that correlated with no attachment model. These findings may contribute to the identification of factors that participate in BPD and in the configuration of more efficient therapeutic interventions.

Comparing two self-report measures of coping— the Sense of Coherence Scale and the Defense Style Questionnaire

2003 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 1325-1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirkko R. Sammallahti ◽  
Matti J. Holi ◽  
Erkki J. Komulainen ◽  
Veikko A. Aalberg
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire

Dealing With Shame – the ‘psychopathic Way’: Preliminary Investigation for a New Developmental Framework of Psychopathic Traits

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S465-S465 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Velotti ◽  
M. D’aguanno ◽  
C. Garofalo ◽  
G. Rogier
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychopathic Personality ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Competing Interest

Although individuals with psychopathic traits are deemed as immune to emotional experiences, in recent year, some authors have advanced the hypothesis that a pervasive pattern of emotion dysregulation may characterize the developmental trajectories leading to a psychopathic personality structure. Shame has been proposed as crucial emotions to understand psychopathy. It has been argued that people, who often experience shame feelings during their childhood, may develop adaptive strategies to cope with them, which lead to maladaptive strategies to regulate shame feelings in adulthood. These maladaptive strategies may explain the increased likelihood for these individuals to violence when feeling ashamed. Whether these mechanisms may also explain the presence of high psychopathic traits remains a clinically valid theoretical hypothesis, which lacks empirical support.ObjectiveTo investigate whether maladaptive strategies to cope with shame feelings were associated with psychopathic traits.AimsTo examine the association between four maladaptive shame coping were positively related with psychopathic traits.MethodsA sample of male offenders incarcerated in Italian jails completed the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (Paulhus et al., 2015) and the Compass of Shame Scale (Elison et al., 2006).ResultsAs hypothesized, maladaptive shame regulation strategies did predict psychopathic traits in the offender sample examined. Specifically, significant and meaningful associations occurred between avoidance and attack other coping styles and psychopathic traits.ConclusionsThe present study is among the first in providing evidence of a possible relationship between maladaptive strategies to cope with shame feelings and psychopathic traits, and such link can be informative to tailor treatment programs for these hard-to-treat patients.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals What Do Therapist Defense Mechanisms Have to Do With Their Experience of Professional Self-Doubt and Vicarious Trauma During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Aafjes-Van Doorn ◽  
Vera Békés ◽  
Xiaochen Luo ◽  
Tracy A. Prout ◽  
Leon Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Vicarious Trauma ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Professional Self

This is the first study to examine psychotherapists' levels of defense mechanisms, their concurrent relationship with professional work-related stress (professional self-doubt and vicarious trauma), and how their levels of defense mechanisms predict the changes in these professional stresses over the course of 3 months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from two online studies (Study 1; N = 105 and Study 2; N = 336), using two self-report measures of therapists' defense mechanisms (Defense Style Questionnaire-40 in Study 1 and Defense Mechanism Rating Scales Self-Report-30 in Study 2), are presented. Therapists reported higher levels of mature defense mechanisms, and lower levels of immature defense mechanisms, compared to published community and clinical populations assessed before and during the pandemic. Therapists' lower level of mature defense mechanisms and higher levels of neurotic and immature defense mechanisms were related to higher concurrent levels of vicarious trauma and professional doubt. Therapists who reported higher levels of mature defense mechanisms at 3-month follow-up showed less vicarious trauma and professional self-doubt at follow-up, after controlling for these professional stressors at baseline. Implications for clinical supervision and training are discussed. The context and professional challenges during the pandemic are unique and future replications of the results outside the pandemic context are warranted.

scholarly journals The Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire: development and validation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Durand
Keyword(s):  
Community Sample ◽  
Questionnaire Development ◽  
Internal Consistency Reliability ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Psychopathic Personality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adaptive Traits ◽  
Convergent And Divergent Validity ◽  
Good Internal Consistency ◽  
As Stress

While the term ‘‘psychopathy’’ is embedded with negativity, evidence points to the existence of another form of psychopathy, which involves adaptive traits such as stress and anxiety immunity, remarkable social skills, noteworthy leadership ability, and an absence of fear. The newly developed Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire (DAPTQ) aims to assess adaptive traits known to correlate with the psychopathic personality. Validation of the questionnaire among 765 individuals from the community gave support to a 10-factor solution: Leadership, Logical Thinking, Composure, Creativity, Fearlessness, Money Smart, Focus, Extroversion, Consequentialism, and Management. The DAPTQ and its 10 subscales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability in a community sample (0.64 - 0.88). Good convergent and divergent validity was confirmed by administering the DAPTQ alongside established measures of the psychopathic personality. Subscales validation against well-established personality assessments further confirms the DAPTQ’s strength. These findings support the potential of the DAPTQ as an instrument for measuring psychopathy-associated adaptive traits. Limitations of the present study and potential directions for future research are also discussed. Further studies are needed to validate the DAPTQ and its subscales against a wider range of personality traits and behaviors.

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