Protecting the Self: Defense Mechanisms in Action [Hardcover]

Phebe Cramer PhD (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1593852983 | ISBN-13: 978-1593852986 | Publication Date: May 18, 2006 | Edition: 1

Integrating theory, research, and practical applications, this timely book provides a comprehensive examination of defense mechanisms and their role in both normal development and psychopathology. The author describes how children and adults mobilize specific kinds of defenses to maintain their psychological equilibrium and preserve self-esteem, particularly in situations of trauma or stress. Many lucid examples illustrate what these mechanisms look like in everyday life; the impact of age, gender, and personality differences; what happens when defenses are used maladaptively; and how they are affected by psychotherapy. Challenges in assessment are considered, and empirically supported instruments and approaches are discussed in depth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this comprehensive, well-organized, and lucid book, Cramer draws on her own extensive work and that of other investigators to show how defense mechanisms appear and replace each other in the course of development; how different defenses are related to gender, to personality, and to different kinds and degrees of pathology; and how these unconscious phenomena are measured. This book would be an excellent main or supplemental text for many courses in personality and clinical psychology."--Ravenna Helson, PhD, University of California, Berkeley

"Cramer presents a fascinating program of research and theory on developmental and clinical aspects of defense mechanisms. All students of personality--and all clinicians, regardless of theoretical orientation--will enrich their understanding of the core role that defenses play. Written in a clear and compelling manner, this book helps us understand how denial, projection, and identification are manifested in normal development and in psychopathology. This book makes an important contribution to a developmentally informed approach to mental disorders."--Robert L. Leahy, PhD, American Institute for Cognitive Therapy

"This book presents a wise and elegant synthesis of what is known about the nature, development, assessment, and real-life implications of defense mechanisms in childhood and adulthood, by one of the premier researchers in this area. Cramer deftly interweaves information on the rich research base on psychological defense with insights gleaned from literature, clinical encounters with patients, and detailed case studies. The book should be equally useful to personality researchers and practicing clinicians and would be an excellent resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in personality, assessment, and psychotherapy. In short, this book should be of use to anyone who wants to understand more deeply the ways--both healthy and damaging--that children and adults cope with the stresses and challenges of daily life."--Rebecca L. Shiner, PhD, Colgate University

"This book is a unique combination of groundbreaking research, sweeping scholarship, and powerful clinical case studies. Cramer convincingly reasserts the central role of defense in any theory of personality, making this book essential reading for clinicians, researchers, and all those involved in the study of human development and personality."--Jack Novick, PhD, International Psychoanalytic Association

 

"Cramer has given us perhaps the most thorough review to date of theory and research on the development of defense mechanisms. Her work takes us through the early psychoanalytic roots through the most modern empirical efforts and theoretical perspectives. The book is impressive in scope, integrating the role of defenses in normal development and in psychopathology, which helps to make it an exemplary contribution to the field of developmental psychopathology. Cramer brings her ideas to life with examples from clinical experience, myths, and fairy tales. Not only is this book an informative reference for researchers, theorists and clinicians, but it is also a joy to read."--David W. Evans, PhD, Bucknell University

About the Author

Phebe Cramer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She is also on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Personality, the Journal of Personality Assessment, and the European Journal of Personality. Dr. Cramer is the author of a number of research articles and books, including Storytelling, Narrative, and the Thematic Apperception Test. Her research takes a developmental approach to the study of defense mechanisms and personal identity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (May 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593852983
• ISBN-13: 978-1593852986
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #680,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An authoritative resource especially recommended, October 3, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Protecting the Self: Defense Mechanisms in Action (Hardcover)

Protecting The Self: Defense Mechanisms In Action by Phebe Cramer (clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Williams College) is an in-depth reference and resource about the mental defense mechanisms that ordinary people use upon themselves every day of their lives to deal with unpleasantness, criticism of the self, stress, and other psychologically jarring effects. When taken to extremes defense mechanisms can play a key role in violent or even sadistic behavior, yet they are a routine and daily occurrence among nearly all people everywhere. Chapters particularly focus upon the defense mechanisms of denial, projection, and identification; other topics include how the mechanisms are used between genders, how they are used in childhood versus adulthood, and how to recognize and deal with them in psychotherapy. An authoritative resource especially recommended for medical school libraries, social workers, clinical and personality psychologists, psychiatrists, and other practitioners or students in the field.