Social-Evaluative Anxiety and Defensive Style

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Millimet's 1970 hypothesis that high anxiety and avoidant defensiveness are inversely related bipolar variables reflecting a unitary dimension of personality. Related hypotheses were deduced in accordance with the available research evidence both consistent with and contrary to Millimet's theory. Subjects were 99 college students (52 men and 47 women). In support of Millimet, small negative relationships were found between social anxiety scales and the defense scales Principalization and Reversal and a small positive relationship was found between social anxiety scales and the defense scale Turning Against Self. However, contrary to expectations, a positive correlation obtained between social anxiety scales and the defense scale Projection for women.