摘要: I describe three experimental paradigms that I_have developed to investigate _ defense mechanisms. All ‘three exploit techniques borrowed from recent deve~ lopments incognitive psychology. The first paradigm involves manipulating I emotional arousal to examine its effects on self—descriptions:-In general, arousal increases the positivity of current self-evaluation. The second paradigm involves the use of threatening distractor-words to influence subjects ‘self-reports: Again, increasesin self—positivity are typically observed. The third paradigm involves _ biasing subjects’ self-reported traits by telling them that certain ‘traits are diagnostic of some future positive event (eg, happiness in middle age) or some negative event'[eg, faileddmarriages). Although their trait reports can have no effect on the outcome, subjects tend to claim traits associated with positive future outcomes and,'disavow those associated with …