THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS AND THE DEVELOPMENT, INTEGRATION, AND FUNCTIONING OF ACTUAL CAPACITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/maup.psych.2025.3.14Keywords:
psychological defenses, actual capacities, Positive Psychotherapy, WIPPF, Life Style Index (LSI), selfregulation, personal adaptationAbstract
The article examines the relationship between psychological defense mechanisms and the development, integration, and functioning of actual capacities within the framework of Positive Psychotherapy (PPT). A sample of 33 adults (29 women, 4 men; aged 20–42) was assessed using the Life Style Index (LSI; Plutchik & Kellerman) and the Wiesbaden Inventory for Positive Psychotherapy and Family Therapy (WIPPF 2.0). Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted to explore associations between the overall intensity of defenses and specific mechanisms with primary (Love, Trust, Time, Hope, etc.) and secondary (Neatness, Responsibility, Politeness, Justice, etc.) actual capacities. The findings revealed an inverse correlation between overall defense tension and Love, and a positive correlation with Faith/Meaning/Religion. Time was positively associated with repression and compensation; Trust with denial; Faith/Meaning/Religion with projection, compensation, and overcompensation; Love was inversely correlated with substitution and projection. For secondary capacities, several direct correlations were found (notably with cleanliness, politeness, thriftiness, and fairness), while groups with high or low scores demonstrated predominantly inverse relationships, suggesting a compensatory function of defenses when capacities are unbalanced. The results confirm the dual nature of psychological defenses–both supportive and compensatory–and highlight the role of regulatory maturity in integrating actual capacities. Practical implications concern psychodiagnostic assessment and corrective programs aimed at shifting from primitive or neurotic defenses toward more mature forms of regulation.
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