Defence mechanisms and suggestibility

Abstract

This study was geared towards testing the relationship between responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions and the psychodynamic mechanisms of defence. Ninety Chinese participants were invited to attend a suggestibility test session and completed a measure of defence style. Most of the defence scales did not vary significantly with the suggestibility. The only type of defence which showed a significant association with the suggestibility was idealization. The implications of the findings were discussed in the psychodynamic and Chinese context. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.