The Greek version of the Defense Style Questionnaire: psychometric properties in three different samples

The Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) was designed to assess behavior indicative of conscious derivatives of defensive styles. This study aimed to assess the factor structure and the main psychometric properties of its Greek version in 3 different samples.

The DSQ-88 was translated into Greek using back-translation, and it was administered to 2308 participants (984 healthy subjects, 1084 medical patients, and 240 psychiatric patients). Exploratory factor analyses were performed; Symptom Distress Checklist-90-R and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) ego strength scales were administered for testing criterion and concurrent validity, followed by hierarchical multiple regression analysis.

Four factors were identified, largely corresponding to the original version's maladaptive, image-distorting, self-sacrificing, and adaptive styles, showing a remarkable stability in all 3 samples. Adaptive style was positively correlated to ego strength, whereas maladaptive, image-distorting, and self-sacrificing styles were negatively correlated, in descending order. This, along with the intercorrelations observed between the 4 styles, provides evidence that this version supports the hierarchical organization of defensive functioning. Test-retest reliabilities were adequate for all styles (r(1i)'s = 0.88, 0.81, 0.77, and 0.81, respectively). Internal consistencies were satisfactory for maladaptive style (0.82), sufficient for self-sacrificing (0.76), and rather low for image-distorting (0.68) and adaptive (0.66) styles. Maladaptive, image-distorting, and self-sacrificing-but not adaptive-styles could differentiate nonpatients from psychiatric patients. Maladaptive style was positively and adaptive style was negatively independently associated with psychological distress.

The present findings support the applicability of the Greek version of DSQ-88 within the Greek population. Future studies could improve its psychometric properties by finding new items for image-distorting and, especially, adaptive styles.