Tazimifar, Melika

An Investigation in to Defense Mechanisms Used by Iranian EFL Teachers: A Case Study of Kashan

AbstractEver since Freud 1894 introduced the notion of defense mechanisms a myriadof researchers and scholars have placed paramount importance on this area Freud s 1894 breakthrough paved the way for a surfeit of research on differentrealms such as defense mechanisms in psychology education and psychotherapy The aim of the present study was to investigate whether different kinds of defensemechanisms immature mature and neurotic are used by Iranian EFL teachersteaching in Kashan In addition the purpose of this study was to examine whethergender teaching experience and age affected the maturity of defensemechanisms used by them The data of this research was collected through semi structured interview questions based on the defense style proposed by Andrews Singh and Bond 1993 The participants attended a semi structured interview The questions were designed to explore the kind of defense mechanisms utilizedby the teachers in their classes The participants were 30 Iranian EFL teachers 15males and15 females teaching in public schools and private institutes Purposive and availability sampling techniques were used in this study forselecting individuals based on their gender experience and age Qualitative datawere obtained from the research SPSS 23 was used to analyze the data Theresults of the study indicated that the teachers participated in this study utilizedsome of the defense mechanisms more frequently such as pseudo altruism humor sublimation denial isolation and idealization In contrast some ofdefense mechanisms were used less frequently by EFL teachers such as splitting passive aggression projection displacement and undoing However gender experience and age did not have meaningful effect on the use of defensemechanisms by Iranian EFL teachers VI