IDENTITY, NARCISSISM, AND DEFENSE-MECHANISMS IN LATE ADOLESCENCE

The relationships among Marcia's (1980) identity status, the components of narcissism, and three ego defense mechanisms (denial, projection, and identification) were studied in a group of late adolescents as they began college. The results indicated that experiencing an identity crisis (statuses of Moratorium acid DiffUsion/Moratorium) was associated with the use of all three defenses, but not with narcissism. Commitment to an identity without having experienced a crisis (statuses of Foreclosure and Diffusion/Foreclosure) was associated with defensive narcissism, but not with ego defenses. Commitment to an identity after having experienced a crisis (Achieved status) was associated with both adaptive and defensive narcissism and minimally with the defense of identification. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.