Relationship between Latent Aggression, Inflated Responsibility, Guilt Feeling and Reaction Formation with Severity of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

Background: This research aims to study previous findings about interpersonal ambivalence in people with obsessive compulsive disorders that shows itself as hidden aggression, excessive responsibility, feelings of guilt, and reverse reaction formations. Materials and Methods: In this correlational study, 60 individuals (33 women and 27 men) with obsessive-compulsive disorders who were referred to psychologistsʹ offices and clinics of the city of Shiraz were selected through available sampling. Participants completed the Padua Inventory, Spielberger’s State-Trait Anger Inventory, the Responsibility Attitude Scale, the Guilt Inventory, and the Defense Mechanisms Inventory. SPSS-16 software was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that the Pearson correlation coefficient was significant between excessive responsibility, hidden aggression, feelings of guilt, and reverse reaction formations with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Based on the results of the regression analysis, feelings of guilt were the strongest predictor of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (B=0.388). Also, the results of path analysis suggest that hidden aggression had predicted feelings of guilt (B=0.47), which was also a predictor of excessive responsibility (B=0.30). Conclusion: According to the results, it seems that a high interpersonal ambivalence exists among people with obsessive-compulsive disorders. Therefore, this structure has the eligibility to be considered in research, especially in the treatment.