Relationships among defense style, existential anxiety, and religiosity

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Personality studies
• Existential psychology

Background:

• Understanding the interplay between personality, anxiety, and religiosity is crucial in psychology.
• Defense mechanisms, such as repression and sensitization, are key individual difference variables.
• Existential anxiety is a fundamental aspect of the human condition, often explored in relation to coping mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between defense styles (repression vs. sensitization) and existential anxiety.
• To examine the correlation between religiosity and both defense style and existential anxiety.
• To explore potential mediating or moderating factors in the expression of existential concerns.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study involving 63 participants (mean age 26.8 years).
• Measurement of participants' dominant defense style (repression or sensitization).
• Assessment of levels of existential anxiety and religiosity using validated scales.

Main Results:

• A significant inverse relationship was found between repression and existential anxiety; repressors reported lower anxiety levels.
• Sensitizers, who confront threatening stimuli, reported higher levels of existential anxiety compared to repressors.
• No significant correlation was observed between religiosity and either defense style or existential anxiety.

Conclusions:

• Defense style appears to be a significant factor in modulating existential anxiety, with avoidant styles (repression) linked to lower anxiety.
• Religiosity may not be directly influenced by individual defense mechanisms or existential anxieties.
• Socialization processes are suggested as a more dominant influence on religiosity than personality variables or existential concerns.