Authors : Srishti Sharma; Dr. Prama Sharma

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 5 - May

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/8ypxw3tm

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25may1749

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Ego defense mechanisms are integral part of an individual’s personality. This plays a crucial role to shape and development of personality. Ego defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that people use to cope with daily stress, anxiety and other uncomfortable emotions. These mechanisms of defenses help people to protect their ego from the stressful situations, lowering their level of guilt or shame. With a comparative analysis of Type A and Type B personality traits, this research paper suggests a theoretical exploration of the interaction between personality traits and the use of ego defense mechanisms. In order to understand how innate personality orientations impact the use of defense mechanisms in stressful situations, this study generates a conceptual framework. The analysis of the previous researches suggests that individuals with Type A personality traits, characterized by competitiveness, urgency, and a predisposition to chronic stress tend to rely on more maladaptive defenses such as denial, displacement, and rationalization, which may amplify stress reactivity. In contrast, those individual with Type B personality traits typically demonstrate a greater tendency for adaptive defenses like sublimation, humor, and intellectualization and it enhances psychological resilience and more effective stress defenses that can protect their mental health. Through integrating these diverse perspectives, the present study proposes a conceptual model that explains the pathways from personality driven defense mechanisms to their psychological outcomes. This theoretical framework not only improves our understanding of differential stress responses but also offers practical implications for modifying interventions aimed at promoting mental health.

References :

1. Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. Penguin.
2. Cramer, P. (2006). Protecting the self: Defense mechanisms in action. The Guilford Press.
3. Cooper, C. L., & Cartwright, S. (1997). An intervention strategy for workplace stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 43(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(96)05172-8
4. Freud, A. (1936). The ego and the mechanisms of defense. International Universities Press.
5. Friedman, M., & Rosenman, R. H. (1974). Type A behavior and your heart. Knopf.
   (DOI not available)
6. Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005756-200304000-00009
7. Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing      Company
8. Mulder, R. T., Joyce, P. R., Sellman, J. D., Sullivan, P. F., & Cloninger, C. R. (1996). Towards an understanding of defense style in terms of temperament and character. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 93(2), 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1600-0447.1996.TB09809.
9. Quick, J. C., Quick, J. D., Nelson, D. L., & Hurrell, J. J. (1997). Preventive stress management in organizations. American Psychological Association.
10. Vaillant, G. E. (1992). Ego mechanisms of defense: A guide for clinicians and researchers. American Psychiatric Publishing.
11. Waqas, A., Abdul R., Aamenah M., Ramsha A., Aroosa A.Y., Arooj A.Y., Aitaaz. B. S. R. (2016). Exploring the association of ego defense mechanisms with problematic internet use in a Pakistani medical school. Psychiatry Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.07.021
12. Di Giuseppe, M., Gennaro, A., Lingiardi, V., and Perry, J. C. (2019). The role of defense mechanisms in emerging personality disorders in clinical adolescents. Psychiatry 82, 128–142. doi: 10.1080/00332747.2019.1579595