The moderating role of insight in the relationship between object relations and defense mechanisms in adults

Aims: This study investigates the moderating role of insight in the association between object relational patterns and defense mechanisms among adults. Grounded in psychoanalytic object relations theory, the research underscores the lasting influence of early relational experiences on the formation of self-structure and defensive functioning. Methods: The sample comprised 412 adult volunteers aged between 18 and 65, with individuals reporting psychiatric diagnoses excluded from participation. Participants completed the Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI), the Insight Scale, and the Defense Styles Test-40. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro v4.2 (model 1). Correlational analyses were performed alongside moderation analyses to assess whether insight modulates the relationship between object relations and defense mechanisms—specifically immature, neurotic, and mature defenses. Results: Correlational results indicated that higher levels of pathological object relational features were significantly associated with lower insight. Moreover, immature defense styles were positively correlated with dimensions such as egocentricity and social incompetence. Moderation analyses revealed that insight significantly buffered the effect of both egocentricity (B=–0.10, p=.003) and social incompetence (B=–0.17, p=.004) on the use of immature defenses. No significant moderation effects emerged in relation to neurotic or mature defense mechanisms. Interaction plots illustrated that as insight increased, the influence of maladaptive object relations on immature defenses diminished. Conclusion: The findings suggest that insight functions as a psychological resource that may attenuate the reliance on primitive defense mechanisms in the presence of pathological object relational patterns. These results point to the potential clinical value of fostering insight within psychoanalytic psychotherapy, as doing so may contribute to the development of more adaptive defense functioning and improved psychological integration. Enhancing insight may thus serve as a pivotal intervention target in efforts to interrupt maladaptive relational-defensive cycles.