Development of behaviour regulation in adolescence: the correlation between behaviour coping, control and defence mechanisms

The problem of relationship between coping and other regulatory mechanisms is one of the important issues of modern psychology. In the paper we present the study results of coping styles formed in adolescence. We consider coping behaviour as one of the mechanisms of regulation of behaviour along with control of behaviour and defence mechanisms. We propose a hypothesis about close relationship of coping behaviour and psychological defences with control behaviour, which is their individual resource. The purpose of the paper is to study the relationship of coping behaviour, control behaviour, and defence mechanisms in adolescence by longitude. The object of the research is the mechanisms of regulation of individual behaviour, the dynamics of regulation of behaviour in adolescence. The priority task was to see the dynamics of coping behaviour, gender differences, to study the dynamics of relationship of coping behaviour with control of behaviour and defence mechanisms. 43 adolescents (24 boys and 19 girls) participated in the longitude study. The data were collected from 5 study points with the distance of 1 year. The average age of participants at the time of the first survey was 14.3 years; at the last one it was 18.5 years. We used the following methods: Adolescence Coping Scale by E. Fraydenberg and R. Lewis as adapted by T.L. Kryukova, Style of self-control behaviour by V.I. Morosanova, Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test by N. Schutte and his colleagues, НАКЕМР-90 by J. Kuhl as adapted by S.A. Shapkin, "Life Style Index" by Kellerman - Plutchik as adapted by L.I. Wasserman. We showed that the style of coping behaviour remains stable in adolescence. Productive and social coping strategies predominate in the coping style. The greatest number of changes is between the age of 17 and 18 - at the time of entering higher schools. The frequency of unproductive strategies decreases and the repertoire of productive and social coping strategies expand at this age. We revealed sex differences: girls have a wider repertoire of coping strategies in the choice of ways to overcome difficult life situations as compared with boys. The dynamics of behaviour control and defence mechanisms is less evident. But we showed that coping behaviour, control behaviour and defence mechanisms are closely related constructs in a single mechanism of self-regulation. Development of coping is the result of changing the quantity and quality of relations between coping strategies and scales of control of behaviour. The number of links between coping and control of behaviour increased at the age of 14-18 among boys and decreased among girls

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