Self-derogation and defense style in college students.
The self-concept literature generally shows that different measures of self-acceptance and self-satisfaction are positively related to psychological adjustment and several measures of defensiveness. In order to understand clearly the relationship between self-concept and adjustment it is also important to consider characteristic defense styles. With this purpose in mind, Kaplan, and Pokorny's Self-derogation scale, three of the most commonly used measures of defensive styles, and a measures of trait-anxiety, were administered to 158 college students. Self-derogation correlated positively with repression-sensitization and trait-anxiety, and negatively with general defensiveness. A positive relationship between self-derogation and ego-control was also found. The results were interpreted as consistent with self theory.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012095:Repression-Sensitization; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students