DOI: https://doi.org/10.17072/2078-7898/2019-3-345-355

Correctional possibilities of psychological defense for increase of the personality adaptation

Elena R. Pilyugina
Ph.D. Student of the Department of Developmental
Psychology and Psychophysiology

Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov,
42, Moscowskaya str., Kazan, 420111, Russia;
e-mail: simvol352@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6737-423X

The article discusses the possibilities of influencing the psychological defense of a person, its formation and correction. The determined factors of the complexity of the psychological defense correction are the depth of education and the stability of the adaptive process, lack of awareness and criticality to one’s own unconscious component, the danger of the destruction of psychological defense in the absence of a worthy alternative and an objectively existing provocation of the outside world, which is constantly traumatic for the person. Criteria for the development of psychological defense are defined, which are an increase in the use of mechanisms from the highly adaptive group and a decrease in the use of low-adaptation mechanisms; expanding the range of defense mechanisms used; more flexible use of defense mechanisms. The factors influencing the formation of psychological defense were revealed such as the sense of frustration of the person and the experience of the person. Likewise, the corresponding directions of therapy were revealed, i.e. the study of the frustration situations of the person and the training of constructive defense mechanisms. Four methods of psychological defense correction are analyzed, which are personal-oriented psychotherapy, suggestive psychotherapy, psycho training and art therapy. It is concluded that all four of the considered methods have good reasons for using them in order to correct psychological protection, but each has its own principles and mechanisms of action, and, accordingly, its own nuances in the direction and strength of the individual’s psyche effects, which should be considered in the process of therapy. For example, the training method has a primary focus on learning and relies on the conscious structures of the psyche, suggestive psychotherapy, in contrast, is more associated with the unconscious components of the psyche and is mainly aimed at working out the individual's deepest frustrations. Personality-oriented therapy and art therapy can equally act both in the direction of teaching constructive defense mechanisms and in working out individual frustration situations.

Keywords: psychological defense of a person, defense mechanisms, psychological defense correction, correction methods, psychotherapy, constructive psychological defense, a frustration situation.

 

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Received 27.05.2019

For citation:

Pilyugina E.R. Correctional possibilities of psychological defense for increase of the personality adaptation // Perm University Herald. Series «Philosophy. Psychology. Sociology». 2019. Iss. 3. P. 345–355. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17072/2078-7898/2019-3-345-355