Study On The Defense Style Of College Students And Its Influence Factors

Background Defense mechanism, as the intermediary variable to adjust the stress and psychological health, is very important to mental health. A comprehensive study of the domestic and foreign related researches shows that most researches discuss the negative effect of negative and immature defense style on individuals. But it lacks of the systematic and experimental study on the development mechanism of college students’ defense style and influential factors. The present study is to explore the characteristics of students’ defense style and its correlation with students’ personality, parental rearing patterns and students’ self-control through cross-sectional survey and correlation analysis. This research will reveal the main factors influencing the occurrence and development of the defense mechanism, and provide a scientific basis for colleges and universities to carry out mental health education and to maintain students’ physical and mental health.Objectives 1. To investigate the characteristics of the defense style of college students; 2. To investigate the relationship between defense style and PBI, EPQ, SSMS among college students.Methods By cluster random sampling, from September 5,2014 to October 10,2014,975 college students, with their classes as units, were selected from Henan Normal University, Xinxiang Medical University and Henan Institute of science and technology. Their ages ranged from 17 to 26. Their average age is 20 years old. Their cross-sectional study was performed on the basis of the Defense Style Questionnaire, the Parental Rearing Style Questionnaire, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Snyder’Self-monitoring Scale. All data was entered into SPSS 17.0 for statistical processing, and by way of descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, stepwise regression and other methods, the college students’ defense style characteristics was analyzed; (1) to analyze college students’characteristics of defense style; (2) to investigate the relationship between defense style and PBI, EPQ SSMS among college students.Results 1. The scores of girls’ mature defense mechanism (t=2.413, P<0.05) were higher than boys’ scores, and the scores of immature defense mechanism (t=-3.391, P<0.01) and intermediate type of defense mechanism (t=-2.482, P<0.05) were lower than boys’scores; Students of different grades have significant differences in immature defense mechanism (F=8.482, P<0.001) and intermediate type of defense mechanism(F=5.509, P<0.01) and concealment factor (F=4.757, P<0.01). Students of different majors have no significant differences in immature defense mechanism (F=1.341, P>0.05) and intermediate type of defense mechanism(F=0.877, P>0.05) and mature defense mechanism (F=1.257,P>0.05). Comparing the only child with the children with siblings, the scores of DSQ have no significant differences (P>0.05), and neither do the students living in city and rural areas.2. Immature defense mechanism was significantly negatively correlated with mother’s care (r=-0.253, P<0.01), mothers’encouragement (r=-0.130, P<0.01), father’s care (r=-0.250, P<0.01), fathers’encouragement (r=-0.144, P<0.01). Immature defense mechanism was significantly positively correlated with mother’s control (r=0.217, P<0.01) and father’s control (r=0.179, P<0.01). Intermediate type of defense mechanism was significantly negatively correlated with mother’s care (r=-0.114, P<0.01), mothers’encouragement (r=-0.085, P<0.01), father’s care (r=-0.102, P<0.01), fathers’encouragement (r=-0.082, P<0.01). Intermediate type of defense mechanism was significantly positively correlated with mother’s control (r=0.225, P<0.01) and father’s control (r=0.152, P<0.01). Concealment factor was significantly negatively correlated with mother’s care (r=-0.190, P<0.01), mother’s encouragement (r=-0.082, P<0.01), father’s care (r=-0.130, P<0.01), father’s encouragement (r=-0.088, P<0.01).3. Psychoticism was significantly positively correlated with immature defense mechanism (r=0.278, P<0.01), intermediate type of defense mechanism (r=0.143, P<0.01), and concealment factor (r=0.100, P<0.01). Neuroticism was significantly positively correlated with immature defense mechanism (r=0.351, P<0.01), intermediate type of defense mechanism (r=0.213, P<0.01), and concealment factor (r=0.293,P<0.01).4. The scores of SSMS was significantly positively correlated with immature defense mechanism (r=0.064, P<0.01), intermediate type of defense mechanism (r=0.070, P<0.01), and concealment factor (r=0.114, P<0.01).5. Neuroticism (β=0.262), Psychoticism (β=0.159) and Mother’s control (β=0.151) were significantly positively predicted with immature defense mechanism. Father’s care(β =-0.103), Extraversion scores (β=-0.088) were significantly negatively predicted with immature defense mechanism. Neuroticism (β=-0.096) were significantly negatively predicted with mature defense mechanism.Conclusions 1. Girls’ defense mechanisms were better than boys. Students of grade four tend to use immature defense mechanism and intermediate type of defense mechanism. Senior students use mature defense mechanism frequently. Comparing the only-child and non-only child, the scores of DSQ have no significant difference, neither do the students living in city and rural areas.2. Immature defense mechanism was significantly negatively correlated with mother’s care, mothers’ encouragement, father’s care, fathers’ encouragement. Immature defense mechanism was significantly positively correlated with mother’s control and father’s control. Intermediate type of defense mechanism was significantly negatively correlated with mother’s care, mothers’encouragement, father’s care, fathers’ encouragement. Intermediate type of defense mechanism was significantly positively correlated with mother’s control and father’s control. Concealment factor was significantly negatively correlated with mother’s care, mothers’encouragement, father’s care, fathers’ encouragement. Psychoticism was significantly positively correlated with immature defense mechanism, intermediate type of defense mechanism, and concealment factor. Neuroticism was significantly positively correlated with immature defense mechanism, intermediate type of defense mechanism, and concealment factor. The scores of SSMS were significantly positively correlated with immature defense mechanism, intermediate type of defense mechanism, and concealment factor. 3.Neuroticism, Psychoticism and mother’s control had significantly positive prediction with immature defense mechanism. Father’care and extraversion scores had significantly negative prediction with immature defense mechanism. Psychoticism had significantly negative prediction with mature defense mechanism.