Predicting personality disorder traits with the defense style questionnaire in a normal sample

This research examined the efficacy of the 40-item Defense Style Questionna ire (DSQ-40), measuring mature, neurotic and immature defense styles, to pr edict DSM-III-R personality disorders, The Coolidge Axis II Inventory, the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II, and the MMPI personality disorder scales were used to measure 11 personality disorders in a nonclinical sampl e. The results show that most personality disorders are positively associat ed with the highly maladaptive immature defense style, and negatively assoc iated with the mature defense style. Multiple regression analyses reveal th at the combined variance accounted for by the defense styles range from 12% to 42% on the CATI, 3% to 42% on the MCMI-II, and 2% to 32% on the MMPI-PD . However, specific personality disorders cannot be predicted with the defe nse styles on any measure.