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The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between intelligence and defense style, as measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third and Fourth Editions (WAIS-III, IV; Wechsler 1997a, 2008a) and the 40-item Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40; Andrews, Pollock, and Stewart 1989). Several studies have evaluated the relationship between intelligence and defense mechanisms, with mixed results, and no studies have looked at the relationship between intelligence and defense style, as defined by any version of the Defense Style Questionnaire.
Defense mechanisms are an important aspect of development and ego functioning (A. Freud 1936). Many factors contribute to an individual's level of ego functioning, including intelligence. Several studies have found that participants with a higher IQ exhibit greater ego functioning (Allen, Coyne, and David 1986; Spivack, Levine, and Sprigle 1959). The relationship between intelligence and defense style, however, has been less clearly established.
Haan (1963) was the first to study the relationship between intelligence and defense mechanisms, using data from the Terman Group Test. She proposed that coping (e.g., substitution, concentration, empathy,