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Appendix B:Defenses

Sections

Mature Defenses With Little Cost in Terms of Ego Functioning | Neurotic Defenses With Mild or Moderate Cost in Terms of Ego Functioning | Primitive Defenses With Significant Cost in Terms of Ego Functioning | Other Defense Mechanisms | References

Excerpt

Many theorists have made efforts to classify and organize the defenses. For example, Otto Kernberg (1970) has offered the most commonly used system for classifying psychopathology according to level of functioning, including psychotic, borderline, and neurotic levels. In addition, George Vaillant (1977, 1992; Vaillant et al. 1986) attempted to correlate defensive style with level of mental health, using data gathered from his longitudinal study of a large group of men. In this appendix, we will draw upon both of their systems. (See also Auchincloss and Samberg 2012; Dickerman and Auchincloss, in press; and Gabbard et al. 2012.)

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