DEFENSE STYLES AS PREDICTORS OF PERSONALITY-DISORDER SYMPTOMATOLOGY

The present study investigated whether defense styles, assessed by the Defense Styles Questionnaire (DSQ), predict personality disorder symptom levels, assessed by the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R), in a manner consistent with Vaillant's (1971, 1977) hierarchical model of defense mechanisms. The DSQ and PDQ-R were administered to a mixed-sex sample of 106 undergraduate students. Results of multiple regression and correlational analyses were consistent with the predictions of Vaillant's model, in that: (1) the DSQ ''maladaptive'' and ''image-distorting'' defense styles were positively associated with the PDQ-R composite index, as well as with 11 and 7 PDQ-R personality disorder subscales, respectively, and (2) the DSQ ''adaptive'' defense style was negatively associated with the PDQ-R composite index, as well as with 4 PDQ-R subscales. Each of the 14 PDQ-R scales demonstrated a unique pattern of associations with the 4 DSQ defense styles.