Table 3

Mr. A and Mrs. B DSQ mean scores and healthy sample mean scores. The asterisk indicates deviance from normal values on the basis of standardized distance from the population mean and significance of the mechanism on the basis of the number of items.
Defense Mechanisms
 Healthy Men Sample Scores (Mean ± SD)
 Mr. A Scores
 Healthy Women Sample Scores (Mean ± SD)
 Mrs. B Scores
Acting-out
 3.52 ± 1.77
 4.8
 4.06 ± 1.66
 4.4
Affiliation
 2.79 ± 2.05
 5
 3.48 ± 2.24
 5
Undoing
 2.67 ± 1.67
 2
 2.60 ± 1.80
 4.33
Anticipation
 4.86 ± 2.10
 7.5*
 4.97 ± 2.13
 6.5
Passive aggressive
 2.74 ± 1.47
 2.8
 2.81 ± 1.45
 2.4
Consumption
 1.94 ± 1.67
 2.33
 2.56 ± 1.70
 1.33
Denial
 1.80 ± 1.29
 3.5
 1.43 ± 1.32
 3
Fantasy
 4.52 ± 2.87
 6
 4.78 ± 2.83
 5
Reaction formation
 2.80 ± 1.60
 3.8
 2.93 ± 1.60
 5.2*
Primitive idealization
 3.14 ± 2.29
 4
 3.62 ± 2.58
 6.5
Projective identification
 0.98 ± 1.86
 1
 1.51 ± 2.45
 5
Inhibition
 2.96 ± 1.72
 3.8
 3.56 ± 1.84
 7*
Isolation
 3.10 ± 1.65
 3
 2.47 ± 1.59
 4.5*
Help-rejecting complaining
 2.22 ± 1.97
 2
 2.28 ± 1.96
 4
Omnipotence
 2.71 ± 1.61
 2.5
 2.27 ± 1.58
 1.33
Task-orientation
 4.87 ± 2.37
 6.5
 5.18 ± 2.12
 2.5
Projection
 1.62 ± 1.06
 2.44
 1.79 ± 1.19
 2.44
Pseudo-altruism
 5.69 ± 2.10
 7
 6.22 ± 1.91
 8
Regression
 2.30 ± 2.02
 5
 3.31 ± 2.12
 6.5
Suppression
 3.94 ± 2.08
 5
 3.58 ± 2.18
 3
Withdrawal
 4.56 ± 2.05
 6.33
 5.47 ± 1.93
 7.33
Splitting
 3.45 ± 2.09
 4
 3.40 ± 1.98
 4.67
Somatization
 1.97 ± 2.09
 4
 2.97 ± 2.28
 5.5
Sublimation
 2.05 ± 2.65
 5*
 2.60 ± 2.98
 5
Humor
 4.69 ± 1.84
 4.33
 4.57 ± 1.93
 4.33

Serretti et al. Annals of General Psychiatry 2007 6:5   doi:10.1186/1744-859X-6-5