The Effect of Defense Mechanisms Training on Anger Expression, Personal Unadjustment and Attributional Styles in University Students

The present study was conducted to investigate effect of defense mechanisms training on anger expression, personal unadjustment and attributional styles in University Students. The research design was based on a semi-experimental with pre-test-post-test approach and control group. The research population consisted of all students of Islamic Azad University of Khomeinishahr in academic year 2017-2018. After initial clinical assessment and based on research criteria, a total of 40 students were selected out of population and randomly assigned in an experimental and a control group with equal ratio. The experimental group received defense mechanisms training program for eight- 90 min group sessions (twice a week); The control group was put in the waiting list for 1 months. Novako's aggression questionnaire (NAQ), California Test Personality (CTP), and Attributional Style questionnaire were used in pre-test and post-test to collect data. In order to analyze the research data, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used. The findings obtained from this research showed that after controlling the effect of pre-test, a significant difference was observed in post-test between experimental and control groups in the mean scores of aggression expression and personal unadjustment, but no significant difference was observed in the mean scores of attributional styles of experimental group in the post-test. According to the findings of this study, it is suggested that the results of defense mechanisms training program are used by counselors and psychotherapists as a new local intervention to improve personal unadjustment aspects and adjust the students' anger expression.