Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of usage of varying defense mechanisms by males and females in various age groups. The subjects of this study consisted of 629 males and 691 females. The average age of the subjects was 32.44. Ewha Defense Mechanims Test (EDMT) was used as the measurement scale. According to the results, female subjects used more strongly projection, denial, identification, somatization, regression, show-off and displacement than male subjects while the males subjects used actively defenses of controlling, altruism and humor. By age, the younger subjects used more strongly identification, regression, show-off, reaction formation, dissociation, passive-aggressive behavior, projection, displacement, sublimation and humor than old subjects while the older subjects were prone to use more strongly denial, somatization, evasion, rationalization, suppression, anticipation and altruism. This results indicates that defense mechanisms used by old groups constantly adapting to address the different types of pressures and conflicts that a person may encounter at different ages and suggests the differences of adaptational styles in males and females. These results indicate that the defense mechanisms a person adopts throughout his/her life becomes progressively mature with age but evasive and passive at the same time. The differences in the progression of defense mechanisms between male and female with regard to age suggests that the psychological adaptation between the sexes has the different features.

• Keywords: Ego defense mechanism, Age, Male, Female, Sex differences, Maturity