Defense use and defense understanding in children

This study investigated the relation between children's use of defense mech anisms and their understanding of those defenses. We hypothesized that, onc e a child understands how a particular defense functions, the use of that d efense will no longer be successful and will be replaced by another defense mechanism that is not yet understood. Defense use was assessed from the Th ematic Appreception Test (TAT) stories told by 122 children; defense unders tanding was determined from the children's understanding of stories portray ing defenses. The results indicated that younger children (mean age = 7-8) used the defense of denial more than the older children (mean age = 9-11). Older children understood the functioning of denial and projection better t han the younger children. A comparison of children who did and did not unde rstand a defense showed that younger children who understood the functionin g of denial were less likely to themselves use denial. Likewise, older chil dren who understood the functioning of projection were less likely to use t his defense.