A STUDY OF EGO DEFENSE MECHANISMS AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

This research investigates the relationship between ego defense mechanisms and emotional regulation among 80 university students from Ranchi. Using a purposive sampling method, the study evaluated an equal distribution of male and female students from urban and rural backgrounds. Data was collected using the Defense Mechanism Inventory (DMI) and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), with t-tests employed for statistical analysis. The results indicate significant gender and residential variations in psychological coping. Male students exhibited a significantly higher reliance on Turning Against Object (TAO) ($M = 42.75$) and Expressive Suppression (ES) ($M = 20.20$) compared to female students. Regarding residence, urban students demonstrated significantly higher scores in Principalization (PRN) ($M = 52.15$) and Cognitive Reappraisal (CR) ($M = 39.45$) than rural students. The study concludes that mature defenses like Principalization facilitate adaptive emotional regulation, whereas immature defenses like TAO are linked to maladaptive strategies. These findings highlight the necessity for university-led psychological interventions to foster adaptive coping skills.