Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of defense styles in the relation between attachment traumas and maladaptive schemas (disconnection and rejection domain) with alexithymia. The research method was descriptive correlational. The statistical population consisted of people (men & women) between the ages 25-50 in the year 1400 in university groups and social networks. Three hundred and sixty-seven including (88 men, 279 women) by voluntary sampling method available online answered to the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Bagby et al, 1994), Adult Attachment Scale (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), Young Schema Questionnaire (Young, 1998) and Defense Style Questionnaire (Andrews et al, 1993). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and path analysis tools. The results showed that the indirect effect of attachment traumas and disconnection and rejection schema is positively significant on alexithymia with the mediating role of the defense styles and the defense styles have the mediating role in the relation between the attachment traumas and disconnection and rejection schema with alexithymia. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that using mature defense styles besides taking into consideration the childhood attachment traumas and maladaptive schemas play an important role in achieving correct way of emotional expression and preventing alexithymia.