Work

Textures of Personality: The Role of Attachment Insecurities and Defense Mechanisms in Maladaptive Personality Functioning

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Attachment styles and defense mechanisms are widely recognized as central components in personality development. However, few empirical studies have examined their combined contribution to maladaptive personality traits within the dimensional framework of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). This study investigated the extent to which adult attachment styles and defense mechanisms predict the five AMPD maladaptive personality domains: negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. Data were collected from a community sample of 400 adults (190 males, 47.5%), aged 18 to 69 years (M = 36.96; SD = 11.59). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted for each maladaptive personality domain to examine the predictive roles of attachment styles and defense mechanisms. Our findings indicate that each maladaptive personality domain is associated with specific configurations of attachment styles and defense mechanisms. In conclusion, the findings suggest the relevance of assessing adult attachment styles and defensive functioning in clinical contexts in order to deepen the understanding of the individuals' personality profiles.

Source: Behavioral Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/bs15091154

Authors: Alessandro Vito Di Caro, Josephin Cavallo, Andrea Scalone, Alessia Passanisi, Adriano Schimmenti

Institutions: Università degli Studi di Enna Kore, University of Florence

Language: English

Topic: Personality Disorders and Psychopathology

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654