Coping and Defending Coping and Defending: Age Differences in Maturity of Defense Mechanisms and Coping Strategies

Previous studies have examined either coping strategies or defense mechanisms; however, few have considered both. This research examined age differences in the type of defense mechanisms and coping strategies that people employ. In addition, gender differences, personality and environmental variables were taken into account. The three age groups used in this study included: 17-23 year olds, 40-47 year olds and 63-70 year olds. The youngest participants used significantly less mature defense mechanisms and significantly more immature defense mechanisms than the middle age and the oldest group. However, there was no significant difference in maturity of defense mechanisms between the middle age and the oldest group. In contrast, there were no age differences revealed for effectiveness of coping strategies people employ. One further interesting finding was that people with a higher purpose in life were more likely to use mature defense mechanisms. This research concludes that when developing theories on stress, psychologists might benefit from considering both defense mechanisms and coping strategies.