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Besharat M A, Ranjbar Shirazi F, Dehghani Arani F. (2019). The mediating role of early maladaptive schemas on the relationship between attachment styles and defense mechanisms. Journal of Psychological Science. 17(72), 859-872.
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-324-en.html

Background: Attachment styles, early maladaptive schemas and defense mechanisms are the major determinants of psychological problems. Discovering the relationships of these variables has theoretical and clinical importance.      Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas on the relationship between attachment styles and defense mechanisms. Method: Method of the present descriptive study was correlational. A total of 400 students (184 females, 216 males) from University of Tehran participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI; Besharat, 2005, 2011), Defense Styles Questionnaire (DSQ; Andrews, Singh, & Bond, 1993), and Young Schema Questionnaire-Short form (YSQ-SF; Young & Brown, 1999). Reults: The results demonstrated that secure attachment style had a significant positive association with mature defense style and significant negative association with neurotic and immature defense styles (p<0/001). Insecure attachment styles had significant negative association with mature defense style and significant positive association with neurotic and immature defense styles (p<0/001). There was a negative association between secure attachment style and early maladaptive schemas and positive association between insecure attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas (p<0/001). There was a significant negative association between early maladaptive schemas and mature defense style and significant positive association between early maladaptive schemas and neurotic and immature defense styles (p<0/01). Results also showed that early maladaptive schemas did not play a mediating role on the relationship between attachment styles and defense mechanisms. Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, it can be concluded that attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas can predict defense styles.