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A Test Of The Homogeneous Versus Heterogeneous Categorization Of The Repression-Sensitization Dimension, Howard J. Cohen

Student Work

The Byrne (1961) Repression-Sensitization (R-S) scale was designed to measure psychological defenses ranging from anxiety-avoidance behavior at the low scoring pole, to anxietyapproaching behavior at the high scoring pole. Byrne (1964) has cited consistent support for the relationship between the R-S scale and defensive style, with the repressionsensitization categories to be viewed as homogeneous groupings of individuals lying at the extremes of a dimension of psychological defense. However, a number of recent studies by Schill and his associates (Boor & Schill, 1967; Kahn & Schill, 1971; Lefcourt, 1969; Schill & Althoff, 1968; Schill, Emanuel, Pedersen, Schneider, & Wachowiak, 1970) have …