The Interrelationship Between Social Anxiousness and Psychological Defense Mechanisms

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of social anxiousness of university students through its relationship with psychological defense mechanisms involved in maintaining psychological homeostasis. The article contains the data of the empirical study conducted as part of the comprehensive program of psychosocial support for students who find in conditions of disadaptation. The study shows that the students with increased level of social anxiousness use in critical situations both the less mature mechanisms (projective psychological defense mechanisms) such as repression and regression and the more mature such as psychological projection and compensation using perceptual defense levels with the removal of information from the consciousness as well as the level of restructuring of the information. The choice of psychological defense mechanisms depends on many factors and primarily on personality structure, level of educational attainment, social status, age and sex, which requires further study. A powerful stress or crisis factor, mental disorder or pharmacological deviations can determine the specific set of used psychological defense mechanisms.