Defense use and defense understanding in children

Journal of Personality
P Cramer, M A Brilliant

Abstract

This study investigated the relation between children's use of defense mechanisms and their understanding of those defenses. We hypothesized that, once a child understands how a particular defense functions, the use of that defense will no longer be successful and will be replaced by another defense mechanism that is not yet understood. Defense use was assessed from the Thematic Appreception Test (TAT) stories told by 122 children; defense understanding was determined from the children's understanding of stories portraying defenses. The results indicated that younger children (mean age = 7-8) used the defense of denial more than the older children (mean age = 9-11). Older children understood the functioning of denial and projection better than the younger children. A comparison of children who did and did not understand a defense showed that younger children who understood the functioning of denial were less likely to themselves use denial. Likewise, older children who understood the functioning of projection were less likely to use this defense.

Citations

May 21, 2004·Journal of Personality Assessment·John H PorcerelliSusan Leitman
Feb 19, 2013·Consciousness and Cognition·Ofri Maor, David Leiser
Feb 9, 2018·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Phebe Cramer
Sep 15, 2017·Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·Michelle A PievskyEvelina Eyzerovich
Sep 19, 2007·International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology·Martin DrapeauJean-Nicolas Despland
Jul 19, 2018·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Phebe Cramer
Jan 20, 2020·Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science·Dominik Stefan Mihalits, Marco Codenotti
Aug 1, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Sergio ParadisoLynn K Paul
Feb 11, 2004·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Phebe Cramer, Francis D Kelly
Feb 11, 2015·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Phebe Cramer

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