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An empirical look at the Defense Mechanism Test (DMT): reliability and construct validity
Bo Ekehammar1, Irena Zuber, Marja-Liisa Konstenius
1Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, and Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden. bo.ekehammar@psyk.uu.se
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|April 22, 2005
Summary
The Defense Mechanism Test (DMT) shows high coder reliability but poor parallel-test reliability. Evidence suggests the DMT may not accurately measure psychological defense mechanisms as intended.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Defense Mechanism Test (DMT) is a long-standing psychological assessment tool.
- Controversy exists regarding its reliability and what psychological constructs it measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the inter-coder reliability of the DMT.
- To assess the parallel-test reliability of the DMT.
- To examine the construct validity of the DMT in relation to self-report inventories, anxiety, and self-esteem.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed agreement among trained judges for DMT protocol coding.
- Developed and utilized a parallel photographic stimulus to test reliability.
- Correlated DMT defense scores with self-report defense inventories, anxiety measures, and self-esteem scores.
Main Results:
- High inter-coder reliability was found for DMT scoring.
- Parallel-test reliability was unsatisfactory by psychometric standards.
- Limited empirical support was found for the DMT's construct validity in measuring psychological defense mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- While DMT coding is reliable, its parallel-test reliability is weak.
- The study provides meager evidence that the DMT accurately measures psychological defense mechanisms.