Defense Mechanism Test and electrodermal activity.

Abstract

Electrodermal activity was registered during examination with the Defense Mechanism Test of 21 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorder, affective disorder, or schizophrenic disorder. The test can be interpreted as a model situation of how a person defends himself against a threat to avoid anxiety. We used Andersson's modified version of the test and tested the hypothesis that electrodermal activity should increase when there were responses categorised as Anxiety and decrease when there were responses categorised as defences or when the threat was correctly identified. We found significant increase in all electrodermal variables in connection with responses categorised as Anxiety. After exposures with responses categorised as Isolation, the maximal skin conductance level and the magnitude of late nonspecific responses were significantly decreased. After exposures when the threat was identified and thus no longer subliminal, the electrodermal activity was significantly decreased. All these findings support our hypothesis. After exposures with significantly decreased. All these findings support our hypothesis. After exposures with responses categorised as Denial all electrodermal variables were significantly increased. Similarly in responses categorised as Repression, Introaggression, and Disavowal or denial of hero's sex the frequency of late nonspecific responses were significantly increased. The increased electrodermal activity could be due to insufficient defence strategies as categorised in the Defense Mechanism Test.