For response styles, malingering describes the deliberate production of feigned symptoms by persons seeking external gain such as financial compensation, exemption from duty, or leniency from the criminal justice system. In contradistinction, defensiveness occurs when patients attempt to downplay their symptoms of psychological impairment. Both of the aforementioned response styles can markedly affect the accuracy of diagnosis, especially on self-reports, such as multiscale inventories. As an important oversight, no studies have been conducted to examine the effect of culturally specific response styles on profile validity and the classification of malingering among Hispanic American clinical populations. The current study investigated whether the Spanish Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) effectively distinguished between Spanish-speaking outpatient groups randomly assigned to honest, feigning, and defensive experimental conditions. In examining the results, PAI malingering indicators utilizing Rare Symptoms strategies (NIM and MAL) demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes. For defensiveness, Spanish PAI indicators also demonstrated moderate to very large effect sizes (M d = 1.27; range from 0.94 to 1.68). Regarding psychometric properties, Spanish PAI validity scales, provide adequate to good data on reliability and discriminant validity. Clinical utility of the Spanish PAI increases as different cut scores are employed.

Relative autonomy describes the degree to which people connect their actions to internal values and goals, rather than external standards and expectations (Deci & Ryan, 2000). The present research examined how relative autonomy moderates defensive responses to psychological threats. The first set of studies compared the effects of negative performance feedback to negative feedback about internal aspects of the self (i.e., motivation). The latter threat was expected to be more self-relevant to higher than lower autonomy individuals, who typically do not react defensively to performance threats. In Study 1 (N = 106), having a more autonomous disposition predicted decreased positive affect in neutral and performance threat conditions, but not under motivation threat. In Study 2 (N = 165), participants having a more autonomous disposition showed a consistent desire to engage in intrinsic pursuits across all conditions, but a decreased interest in extrinsic pursuits when threatened. The second set of studies aimed to expand the spectrum of threat-responses to determine whether autonomy would predict greater commitment toward personal goals upon exposure to universally relevant threats (i.e., mortality salience, relational threat). Results of Study 3 (N =120) suggested that more autonomous participants reacted to the threat of mortality (i.e., thinking about their own demise) by planning for future goals and maintaining positive affect. Study 4 (N = 122) compared positive with negative relationship feedback and revealed that participants higher in autonomy were increasingly likely to agree with positive, and disagree with negative, feedback. Additionally, autonomy predicted consistent positive affect and sustained engagement with intrinsic pursuits. In sum, compared with individuals lower in autonomy, those higher in autonomy displayed more positive affect and eagerness to accept positive feedback under a variety of threats, including threats to motivation, relational need satisfaction, and existence as an individual. More autonomous participants distinguished themselves from less autonomous participants by sustaining their interest in existing pursuits and selectively disengaging from less intrinsic activities. Expanding on existing self-determination theory research, these results suggest that a more autonomous disposition relates to greater positivity overall and to a tendency to react to threat with focus on and discernment among personal goals.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Apr. 7, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-40).

The use of scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) to detect defensiveness in criminal and nonclinical samples was evaluated. Forty-five male inmates of a county jail and 38 male undergraduate psychology students were provided with incentives to complete the PAI under two conditions: standard instructions and experimental instructions to feign a specific, positive role. The sequence of instructions was counterbalanced in both samples for the purpose of examining ordering effects. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed, yielding significant main effects of condition, group and order. Additionally, a step-wise discriminant function analysis significantly predicted group membership (i.e., subjects under honest and faking conditions) with a hit rate = 84.4%. Finally, a more effective cutting score for the Positive Impression scale was recommended.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper is an attempt to explore the appropriateness of the use of the specific psychological paradigm of dissociation as a possible response to pregnancy in lowincome women. Low-income women who fail to acknowledge their pregnancies may do so in an attempt to defend against feelings of fear, anxiety and helplessness engendered by the crisis of pregnancy. A dissociative response may serve to protect the expectant mother from conscious awareness of the full impact of what is happening, in other words, to provide psychological escape when physical escape is not possible. Such a response may initially be adaptive in that it provides these women with a means of coping. Dissociative processes allow, in the context of an inescapable crisis, the economizing of already limited physical and psychological resources. However, the prolonged use of dissociative strategies during pregnancy may have far-reaching implications, and, as such, be a hindrance to adaptive functioning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om ondersoek in te stel na die geskiktheid van die gebruik van die spesifieke psigiese meganisme van dissosiasie as 'n moontlike reaksie tot swangerskap in lae-inkomste vroue. Lae-inkomste vroue mag hul swangerskappe ontken in 'n poging om verweer te bied teen gevoelens van vrees, angs en hulpeloosheid wat deur swangerskap teweegebring word. 'n Dissosiatiewe respons mag dien om die verwagtende moeder te beskerm teen die volle impak van die gebeurtenis, met ander woorde, om psigiese ontvlugting te bied waar fisiese ontvlugting onmoontlik is. Welke respons mag aanvanklik adaptief wees in dat dit 'n manier van streshantering is. Dissosiatiewe meganismes bevorder, in die konteks van 'n onvermydelike krisis, die besparing van reeds beperkte fisiese en psigiese bronne. Die langtermyn gebruik van dissosiatiewe strategieë gedurende swangerskap mag egter verreikende gevolge inhou, en as sulks adaptiewe funksionering strem.

This dissertation addresses the question how democracies defend themselves from political parties and groups which profess antidemocratic values and use violence as one of the means to achieve their goals. In particular this dissertation analyses the range of formal-legal measures and provisions that democracies have at their disposal to constrain their non-democratic groups and political parties, looking at eight advanced European democracies Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. These measures and provisions are identified in constitutional documents, civil law, criminal law, in electoral laws, and other pertinent legal sources passed by the legislature and issued by courts of these countries, pertaining to the regulation of political freedoms, public order, and homeland security. On this basis, the thesis provides an encompassing and systematic assessment of differences and similarities between these democracies and thereby assesses their relative formal-legal democratic defensiveness.

This study explored the comparison of microlab discussions of interpersonal competencies and corrective feedback on counselor trainees' defensiveness levels. Additionally, the effects of microlab discussions of interpersonal competencies or corrective feedback on counselor trainees' beliefs about their ability to communicate more clearly, receive corrective feedback with less difficulty, and act on corrective feedback receive more easily were explored. Participants in this study (N = 72) were counselor trainees enrolled in three different universities within the New Orleans metropolitan area. Participants completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Second Edition (TSCS: 2; Fitts & Warren, 1996) at least three weeks before taking part in a microlab discussion of interpersonal competencies or corrective feedback or not taking part in any discussion. Upon completion of the microlab discussion, participants in the treatment conditions completed the TSCS: 2 for the second time. Participants in the control condition simply met and completed the second administration of the TSCS: 2. Analyses of covariance were conducted on the posttest scores using the pretest as a covariate. Also, interaction effects were explored between demographic characteristics and treatment condition on posttest scores as well as responses to a group evaluation. Results did not support any of the hypotheses associated with participants who engaged in microlab discussion would have a lower defensiveness score as compared to a control group. Promising findings resulted from reactions to both microlabs by participants regarding their beliefs about their abilities to communicate more clearly, receive corrective feedback with less difficulty, and act on corrective feedback received more easily in the future. Also, a pattern associated with the number of courses completed was indicated due to a significant correlation with change in defensiveness course and interaction effects with treatment condition on responses to question 1 and 3 of the group evaluation. Counselor education programs, counselors who work with groups, and counselor trainees may benefit from exploring the possible benefits associated with microlab discussions as a form of pregroup training. Future research may provide more insight into the development of an instrument to more effectively measure defensiveness within the context of receiving corrective feedback. Also, the development of multi-session pregroup training may prove to be more effective in reducing defensiveness levels.

The purpose of the study was to test for theoretic trends of guilt' shame (quadratic) and defensiveness (linear) across treatment for alcoholic patients. The study sample consisted of91 participants. These included adult males who were in either outpatient or inpatient treatment for alcoholism.All participants were administered a questionnaire comprised of guilt, shame, and defensiveness measures. The questionnaires also asked self rating questions as a measure of progress and had a therapist section for progress ratings. Three null hypotheses were tested using trend analysis. Two way analyses of variances were also used to examine progress variables.ResultsIt was hypothesized that guilt and shame would demonstrate quadratic relationships across treatment and that defensiveness would demonstrate a linear relationship. None of the trend 2analyses demonstrated the expected relationships. The post-hoc two-way analyses of differences in guilt, shame, and defensiveness as a function of both weeks-in-treatment and progress measures yielded few significant results.Conclusions The results of this study do not support some of the major premises concerning treatment of the alcoholic patient. Research needs include operationally defining treatment approaches and refining concepts and measures. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-124). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19686

Members of groups in conflict are often defensive of ingroup-perpetrated violence, especially if they glorify their ingroup. While past literature has established that high glorifiers are unconditionally defensive of their ingroup, findings regarding low glorifiers are mixed, with some studies finding low glorifiers to be similarly defensive as high glorifiers and others finding low glorifiers to not be defensive or even critical of the ingroup. Across six studies, I investigated whether perceiving a conflict to be tangible (rather than intangible) drives defensiveness among low glorifiers. I tested this hypothesis across two national contexts that were naturally closer (Israel) or farther (the U.S.) from the same conflict (the Syrian conflict). I found that Israeli low glorifiers were defensive of their ingroup, whereas American low glorifiers were not (Studies 1a/1b) and that Israelis found the conflict tangible, whereas Americans found the conflict relatively intangible (Studies 2a/2b). Across Study 3 and Study 4, I found experimental evidence that low glorifiers in Serbia (study 3) and the U.S. (study 4) are more defensive of ingroup-perpetrated violence when the conflict context is tangible than when it is relatively intangible.