The mediating role of affect regulation in the relationship between attachment styles and defense mechanisms

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating role of affect regulation in the relationship between attachment styles and five defense mechanisms (turning against object, projection, principalization, turning against self, and reversal). 87 Boğaziçi University students as participants were divided into three groups of attachment styles (anxious/ambivalent, avoidant, and secure) based on their scores in Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R). They also completed Negative Mood Regulation Expectancies Scale (NMR) and Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI) in order to measure affect regulation and five defense mechanisms, respectively. We expected that insecurely attached individuals (both anxious/ambivalent and avoidant) might use these five defenses less compared to securely attached ones due to their poor affect regulation capacities. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test this relationship. The results revealed that there is a relationship between attachment styles and defense mechanisms for the defenses PRI, TAS, and REV. For PRI and REV, this relationship results from only NMR. On the other hand, only attachment styles contributed to this relationship in TAS. However, contrary to our predictions, we were not able to observe any relationship among attachment styles, affect regulation, and TAO. The results were discussed in accordance with the literature about attachment, affect regulation, and defense mechanisms.