The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Defense Styles with Body Mass Index in High School Female Students

Zahra Alipour^1*, Fatemeh Golshani² and Roya Kouchakentezar³

Department of Educational Psychology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.    

Abstract: This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits and defense styles with Body Mass Index of high school female students. For this purpose, 220 people were selected as a sample of high school female students using multistage random sampling method. The students were examined by short form questionnaire of personality traits (NEO) and defense styles questionnaire (DSQ) as well as calculation of Body Mass Index (height and weight). Multivariate regression analysis was used for hypotheses test. The findings suggest that personality traits are not able to predict body mass index, but neurotic psychological defense styles have a significant correlation with body mass index. This means that increasing the scores of neurotic psychological defense style increases body mass index, while defense mechanisms including altruism, displacement, humor and falsification were able to predict body mass index.

Keywords: personality traits; defense styles; body mass index

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