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University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Exchange

Doctoral Dissertations

8-2006

Graduate School

Attachment Styles and Use of Defense Mechanisms: A Study of the Adult Attachment Projective and Cramer's Defense Mechanism Scale

Paul Matthew Hoffman

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Recommended Citation

Hoffman, Paul Matthew, "Attachment Styles and Use of Defense Mechanisms: A Study of the Adult Attachment Projective and Cramer's Defense Mechanism Scale. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2006. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4254

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To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Paul Matthew Hoffman entitled "Attachment Styles and Use of Defense Mechanisms: A Study of the Adult Attachment Projective and Cramer's Defense Mechanism Scale." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Philosophy.

Leonard Handler, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: John Lounsbury, Wes Morgan, Julia Malia
Accepted for the Council:
Carolyn R. Hodges
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)

To the Graduate Council:

l am subꢆitting herewith a dissertatioꢈ written by Paul Matthew Hoffman eꢈtitled "Attachment Styles and Use of Deꢀnse Mechanisꢆs: ꢁ Study ofthe ꢁdꢂꢃꢄ Attachmeꢈt Projective and Cramer's Deꢀnse Mechaꢈisꢆ Scale." T have examined the final paper copy ofthis dissertation ꢅr ꢅrꢆ aꢈd content aꢈd recommend that it be accepted in partial ꢇlfillꢆent ofthe requireꢆents ꢅr the degree ofDoctor ofPhilosophy, with a major in Psychology.

Leoꢈꢉd Handler, Major Proꢀssor

We have read this dissertatioꢈ aꢈd recomꢆend its acceptaꢈce:

ꢁcceptaꢈce ꢅr the Couꢈcil:

Vice Chaꢈcellor Graduate Studies

ATTACHMENT STYLES AND USE OF DEFENSE MECHANISMS:

A STUDY OF THE ADULT ATTACHMENT PROJECTIVE
ꢀD CRAMER'S DEFENSE MECHANISM SCALE

A Dissertation Presented ꢁr the
Doctor ofPhilosophy
Deꢂee

The University ofTennessee, Knoxville

Paul Matthew Hoꢃmꢄ
August 2006

DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to my pꢀents, Cꢀl and Shꢀon Hofꢁan, who have supported me at every step ofthe way and always encouraged me to do my very best. It is also dedicated to Kꢀen Wetzel without whose support I know I could have never accomplished what I have.

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to ꢀꢁk all ofꢀose who helped me complete my Doctor of
Philosophy Deꢂee in Clinical Psychology. I would fiꢈst like to thꢃk Dr. Leonꢄd Hꢃdler who helped guide me through the last six yeꢄsꢅ I would also like to thank the oꢀer members ofmy commiꢆee; Dr. Wes Morgꢃ, Dr. John Loꢇsbuꢈyꢉ ꢃd Dr. Julia Malia ꢊr their guidꢃce ꢃd support thꢈough ꢀis project. It is also very imporꢋt to acknowledge the dedicated gꢈaduate students who helped in the coordination, data collection, and scoring ofthis study: Beꢆy Mꢌin, Chad Sims, Eric Peters, Iꢃ Haag, Noah Roost, Guy Edlis, ꢃd Kꢄen Wetzel.

111

ABSTꢀCT

The puꢁose ofthis study was to examine the relationship between adult
ꢃttachment ꢂd mꢃꢄity ofdeꢅnse mechꢂisms. 100 underꢆaduate students were given boꢇ ꢇe Adult ꢈꢉachment Projective (AAP) ꢂd the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), which was scored ꢊr deꢅnse mechꢂism use with Cramer's Deꢅnse Mechanism Mꢂual (DMM).
The AAP's ꢊur scoring categories were conꢌenseꢌ into two ꢆoups reflecting secure and insecure ꢃꢉachmentꢋ These were then compared to the three levels ofꢌeꢅnses that ꢇe DMM scores ꢊr: deniꢍꢎ projectionꢎ ꢂd identification. These deꢅnses exist on a hierarchy with ꢌenial being the most primitive anꢌ identification being the most mature.

Results suggest that insecure ꢃttachment is related to the primitive deꢅnses ofdenial and projection. No differences were ꢊund between ꢇe

iꢏecꢐre ꢂd secure groups ꢊr ꢇe mꢃꢄe deꢅnse ofidentification.

The findings ofthis study ꢑgue ꢊr the idea that attachment may be a
ꢒctor in the ꢌevelopment ofꢌeꢅnsive sꢓcturesꢔ Two theoꢕes ꢊr this finꢌing are �iscussed. Firstꢎ primitive ꢌeꢅnses may become ingrained during childhooꢌ because ofꢂ inability to use an ꢃttachment figure ꢊr comꢊrt ꢂꢌ protection. Secondꢎ individuals wiꢇ insecure ꢃꢖꢗꢘhment may not be able to use identification effectively as a deꢅnseꢙ necessitꢃting the greater use ofother more imꢚꢃꢛre deꢅnses to guꢑd against distress. This study also shows that immꢃture deꢅnses

may be a better measure ofpsychological deficits than mꢃture deꢅnses.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter

Page

I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 1

ꢂefense Mechanisms .................................................................................. 2

ꢀttacꢁent Theory ................................................................................... 11

ꢂeꢃnse Mechꢄisms versus ꢂeꢃnsive Processes ................................... 15 ꢀttacꢁent, ꢂeꢃnse Mechanisms and their Effects

on ꢂevelopment and Personality .............................................................. 17

Measurement ofꢂeꢃnse Mechanisms ..................................................... 18

Measurement ofꢀttachment..................................................................... 22

Hypotheses................................................................................................ 24

II. METHOD ...................................................................................................... 26

Paꢅicipaꢆꢇs................................................................................................ 26

Materials ................................................................................................... 27

Procedure .................................................................................................. 37

III. RESULTS......;.............................................................................................. 39

IV. DISCUSSION............................................................................................... 41

Limitations ofthe ꢈtudy............................................................................ 47

ꢈꢉengths ofthe ꢈtudy............................................................................... 48

LIST OF REFERENCES................................................................................... 50

APPENDIX.......................................................................................................... 59

VITA..................................................................................................................... 68

V

LIST OF TABLES

  • Table
  • Page

A-1. Kappa and Intra-Class Correlation Coefficients

ꢀr the ꢁnteꢂꢃꢄer Reliability ofthe AAP ꢅd DMM ................................... 60

A-2. Levene's Test ofEquality ofError Vꢆiꢇnces............................................. 61 A-3. Sꢈple Demoꢉaphic Dꢃꢄa.......................................................................... 62

A-4. Peꢆson r Coꢂelation Between Age and DMM Scores............................... 63

A-5. Independent Sꢈpꢊes t-test ꢀr Gender and DMM Scores.......................... 64

A-6. Gender ꢅd AAP Scores Cross-Tabulation and Chi-Squꢆe Test ............... 65

A-7. Independent Sꢈpꢊes t-test ꢀr AAP Scores and Age ................................. 66

A-8. ꢋOVA between AAP Category ꢅd DMM Scores .................................. 67

Vl

I. Introduction

Both the psychodynꢀic concept ofdeꢁnse mechanisms and John
Bowlby's attachment theory have been well studied and reseꢂched over the yeꢂs. At the heꢃ ofboth theories lies the concept ofhuman adaptationꢉ Bowlby described how infants adapt to their environment by bonding with their caregivers and how the nature ofthese bonds impact subsequent interpersonal behavior. Deꢁnse mechanisms explain how individuals deꢁnd and protect themselves ꢄom intolerable ꢅxiety while avoiding conscious awareness ofthe source ofthe anxiety. By compꢂing these two concepts, we can better understꢅd how boꢆ deꢁnse mechꢅisms and attachment aid in human development and adaptation. Attachment theory generally does not venture much outside ofꢆe realm of inteꢇersonal behavior. Investigating how attachment relates to deꢁnse mechꢅism use may be a way to better understand the implication ofattachment status on other ꢂeas ofpsychological ꢈctioningꢉ

Investigating ꢆe relationship between these two concepts also may shed

· light on ꢆe impact ofattachment on psychological development. Recent views on deꢁnse mechanisms posit that they exist on a developmental hierꢂchy with some deꢁnses being related to more immature psychological states and some reflecting a more mature developmentꢊ levelꢉ It is possible that eꢂly attachment to cꢂegivers may be related to the development ofpsychological deꢁnsive structures.

1

Defense Mechanisms

The concept ofdeꢀnse mechanisms has a long history in the field of psychology. Siꢁꢂd Freud first proposed the concept ofdeꢀnse mechꢃisms in a paper titled "The Neuro-Psychoses of Deꢀnceꢄ (1894) ꢃd ꢅher elaborated

  • his ꢆeory in "Furꢆer Remarks on the Neuro-Psychoses ofDeꢀnceꢄ (1896).
  • on

Freud originally defined deꢀnses to be unconscious mental operations that keep pꢇ thoughts and emotions ꢈom awareness. He ꢉcused much ofhis early ꢃalysis ofdeꢀnses on the concept ofrepression and its role in hysteriaꢕ In repression, he assertedꢏ individuals merely do not remember pꢊnꢋl events ꢃd ꢀel as if they never happened. At the stꢌ ofhis workꢏ Freud ꢀlt that all deꢀnses were inherently pathological and represented barriers to psychological health. For a period oftimeꢓ Freud moved away ꢈom using the teꢍ defense ꢃd instead used the word repression to describe deꢀnse mechꢃisms. Later in his cꢎeerꢏ Freud (1915ꢓ 1923ꢓ 1926) expꢃded his concept ofdeꢀnses to describe a wider array of deꢀnsive processesꢓ and ꢆe term repression was used to describe one specific type ofdeꢀnse mechanism. Freud also elaborated on the reasons why deꢀnse mechanisms existed. He claimed that they arose ꢐom the conflict between the ego and the id. The ego seeks to bar the expression ofunacceptable iꢑulses by using deꢀnse mechanisms (1923). Despite ꢆe ꢒct that Freud still viewed deꢀnses as paꢆologicalꢓ oꢆer ꢆeorists classified his notion ofdeꢀnses into ꢔoupsꢕ Otto Fenichelꢓ in his book the The Pꢀchoanalytic ꢁeoꢂ of Neurosis (1945)ꢓ organized Freud's deꢀnses into what he termed suꢖcessꢗl ꢘd

2

unsuccessꢀl deꢁnses. Successꢀl deꢂnses allowed expression ofthe instinctual drive in a manner that the individual could tolerate. Unsuccessꢀl deꢁnses did not allow expression ofthe drive and thus needeꢅ to be repeated constꢃtly. Even though Fenichel ꢋnd other theorists such as ꢄna Freud (1946) anꢅ George Vaillant (1971) have ꢅescribeꢅ both categories ofꢅeꢂnses, Sigmunꢅ Freuꢅ never incluꢅeꢅ successꢀl ꢅeꢂnses into his overall category ofꢅeꢂnse mechanisms.

Siꢆund Freud (1894, 1896, 1915, 1916, 1923, 1926) described a total of seven deꢂnses that the ego uses against instincts arising ꢇom ꢈe id. Kline (2004) provided a good summary ofthe deꢂnse mechanisms that Freuꢅ describeꢅ throughout his career.

  • 1.
  • Repression, as mentioneꢅ eꢉlier, was one ofthe main ꢅeꢂnse

mechanisms ꢈat Freuꢅ ꢅiscusseꢅ. This involved the ꢀnction of rejecting anꢅ keeping some unpleasant thought out of consciousness. Kline (2004) summꢉizes the two ꢅifferent types of

repression:

Primal repression - where the mental presentation ofthe instinct is ꢅenieꢅ entry into consciousness, anꢅ repression proper - where the

  • mental
  • ꢅerivatives anꢅ associations ofthe represseꢅ presentation,

which are also ꢅenieꢅ enꢊy into consciousness. The mental energy that belongs to represseꢅ instincts is ꢊꢋnsꢌrmed into affects, especiꢍly ꢋnxiety, which renꢅers repression an unsuccessꢀl deꢂnse. (p. 44)

3

  • 2.
  • Denial describes a deꢀnse where a person's ego wꢁds offcertain

painꢂl perceptions ꢃom the outside world by simply denying that they exist.

3.

Projection is a deꢀnse where a person's own unacceptable impulses ꢄd ideas get attributed to ꢄother person or persons.

4.

Reaction ꢅrmation describes a deꢀnse where a person deve_lops an attitude that is ꢆe opposite ofthe instinct that is deꢀnded against.

Undoing describes ꢄ attempt to cꢁry out an action that is the opposite ofthe instinct that is deꢀnded against ꢄd that will cꢄcel out the perceived consequences ofthe instinct.

5.

6.

Isolation is a deꢀnse ꢆat Freud described which involves isolating experiences ꢃom their associations ꢄd emotions.

7.

Last, regression describes a process where the ego reꢇesses to ꢄ eꢁlꢈer stage ofdevelopment.

In addition to the ego's deꢀnses against instinct, Freud also ꢉlt that people deꢉnded against affect also. Freud described three types ofdeꢉnses against affect: postponement ofꢊect, displacement ofaffect, and identification with the aggressor. Freud (1916) also described the process ofsublimation. In sublimation, a person abandons the sexual aim ꢅr another aim, which is no longer sexual but instead is productive ꢄd pro-social. Sublimation reꢀrs to successꢂl

4

deꢀnses and, thus, was not viewed by Freud as an actual deꢀnse. Sigmund Freud laid the groundwork ꢁr the study ofdeꢀnse mechanisms by developing the concept and elaborating on several different types ofdeꢀnse mechꢂisms. Aſter his death, his daughter, Anna Freud, took over the study ofdeꢀnse mechanisms and developed a much more comprehensive theory. While the concept ofdeꢀnse echanisms has changed and expꢂded, Sigmund Freud's original ideas serve as mꢃe backbone ꢁr much ofꢃe modem work on deꢀnses.

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    Amer. J. Orthops-ychiat. 61(3), July 1991 CLINICAL ETHNOCULTURAL TRANSFERENCE AND COUNTERTRANSFERENCE IN THE THERAPEUTIC DYAD Lillian Comas-Diaz, Ph.D., and Frederick M. Jacobsen, M.D., M.P,H. The relevance and validity of ethnocultural factors in transference and countertransference reactions are proposed. Some of those prevalent in dyadic psychotherapy are described, focusing on intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic dyads. Case vignettes are presented to illustrate the ways in which et/rnocultura.lfactors serve as catalystsfor such major therapeutic issues as trust, ambivalence, anger, and acceptance of disparate parts of the self he influences of culture and etlmicity tients since social images of blacks make T on the psychotherapeutic process have them easier targets for therapists’ projec- been previously acknowledged (Devereu.x, tions. Similarly, Spiegel (1965) asserted that 1953; Gr~7th,1977; Tic/to, 1971), and have working with patients from different cul- recently been recognized as key factors in tural backgrounds engenders a very com- therapy(Comas-D(az & Gr(ffith, 1988; Dud- plicated strain within the therapist. Psycho- ley & Rawlins, 1985; Goleman, 1989; therapy with the ethnoculturally different McGoldrick, Pearce, & Giordano, 1982). patient frequently provides more opportu- While some of these influences are imme- nities for empathic and dynamic stumbling diately available to the senses (sights, blocks, in what might be termed “ethno- sounds, smells, etc.), it has been postulated cultural disorientation.” that every culture also has its own unique In traditional therapeutic orientations,pa- form of unconscious (Hall, 1981), which tients’ racial and ethnic remarks in therapy may have powerful effects on the process have been attributed to a defensive shift of psychotherapy.
  • Noah's Arkism, 21St Century Style

    Noah's Arkism, 21St Century Style

    NEWS, ANALYSIS, OPINION FOR THE PSYCHOANALYTIC COMMUNITY|ISSUE 29 AUTUMN 2019 Climate Emergency Climate Emergency – Review – Woman Diary – events – Getting Real Extinction Rebellion at War listing 5Noah’s Arkism,11 21 29 21st century style Sally Weintrobe “as I looked out into the night sky across all see the reality more clearly. They struggle those infinite stars it made me realize how with alterations in their self-view and may unimportant they are” rage, grieve and find it hard to think in proportion about their own responsibility. Peter Cook, comedian They are tasked with ‘working through’, ost of us have been including working through depressive and living in a bubble of persecutory guilt. When in the climate disavowal about global bubble, personal responsibility and guilt heating. We were can be projected onto and spread out awareM it was happening, but we minimized over social groups all ‘in it together’, ‘it’ its impacts. What might people be feeling being a high carbon lifestyle. When the as they emerge from the climate bubble? bubble bursts, people are vulnerable There is no space here adequately to to experiencing the shock of what was explore this, so I will look at just two issues. comfortably projected being suddenly returned. First, we know people find it difficult to emerge from a psychic retreat from reality. For example, I was talking with a friend They are in danger of feeling flooded with who said people are shooting kangaroos anxiety, shock, shame and guilt as they in Australia now. Kangaroos are dying of Continues on page 2 NEW ASSOCIATIONS | ISSUE 29 AUTUMN 2019 2 thirst because of global heating and people love and grief.
  • Prospects for Lacanian Psychoanalysis in Law Richard E

    Prospects for Lacanian Psychoanalysis in Law Richard E

    Washington and Lee Law Review Volume 54 | Issue 3 Article 9 Summer 6-1-1997 Does Law Need an Analyst? Prospects for Lacanian Psychoanalysis in Law Richard E. Redding Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr Part of the Jurisprudence Commons, and the Law and Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Richard E. Redding, Does Law Need an Analyst? Prospects for Lacanian Psychoanalysis in Law, 54 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 1119 (1997), https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr/vol54/iss3/9 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington and Lee Law Review at Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington and Lee Law Review by an authorized editor of Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Book Review Does Law Need an Analyst? Prospects for Lacanian Psychoanalysis in Law LACAN AND THE SUBJECT OF LAW: TOWARD A PSYCHOANALYTIC CRITI- CAL LEGAL THEORY. By David S. Caudill. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, 1997. 206 pp. $15.95 paper, $49.95 cloth. Reviewed by Richard E. Redding The debate continues over the merits of French psychoanalytic theorist Jacques Lacan - was he a "charlatan"' or an "intellectual hero?"2 Enter David Caudill's book, Lacan and the Subject oftaw: Toward a Psychoana- lytic CriticalLegal Theory.3 In providing practical applications of Lacan to the law, the book will no doubt be seen as an important contribution in resolving the debate. Caudill, a law professor with a Ph.D.