Hope, Defense Mechanisms, and Adjustment: Implications for False Hope and Defensive Hopelessness

TLDR

Defense style is a key factor linking hope to dysphoria, a relationship replicated and expanded by two studies. The study found that low hope and high defense immaturity predict greater dysphoria, depression proneness, and maladjustment, whereas low hope with low defense immaturity is not associated with poor outcomes, suggesting an adaptive defensive hopelessness subtype, and high hope with high defense immaturity is not maladaptive, countering the false hope construct, and domain‑specific hope correlates most strongly with matching adjustment, with all effects remaining after controlling for anxiety.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two studies replicated and expanded an earlier finding that defense style plays a crucial role in the relation between hope and dysphoria ( Kwon, 2000 ). Lower hope and higher defense style immaturity were each associated with greater dysphoria, depression proneness, and maladjustment. Individuals with low hope and low defense immaturity did not have poor outcomes, supporting the existence of a subtype of low hope (defensive hopelessness) that may have adaptive value. The combination of high hope and high defense immaturity was not associated with maladaptive outcomes, arguing against the false hope construct. Additionally, the findings remained after controlling for levels of anxiety. Thus, it appears that the results are not attributable to general distress or negative affectivity. Finally, domain‐specific hope was shown to correlate most strongly with matching areas of adjustment, providing evidence for the validity of the construct.