Table 2.

Differences in personality, defense styles, and coping strategies across age groups

	Age (group)	Mean (SD)	F	p-value (post-hoc test*)
NEO-PI-R
Extraversion	20–34 (a)	33.21 (15.00)	0.791	0.500
	35–49 (b)	35.27 (8.78)
	50–64 (c)	36.55 (10.81)
	65+ (d)	35.46 (8.68)
Openness	20–34 (a)	40.31 (13.72)	0.238	0.870
	35–49 (b)	38.32 (10.97)
	50–64 (c)	38.56 (12.46)
	65+ (d)	39.59 (13.13)
Agreeableness	20–34 (a)	37.71 (12.64)	5.003	0.002**
	35–49 (b)	43.73 (11.59)		(c>a, d>a)
	50–64 (c)	44.99 (13.87)
	65+ (d)	47.93 (10.58)
Conscien tiousness	20–34 (a)	46.29 (13.29)	0.440	0.724
	35–49 (b)	48.81 (10.03)
	50–64 (c)	49.08 (14.77)
	65+ (d)	48.76 (12.94)
Neuroticism	20–34 (a)	64.69 (12.65)	4.553	0.004**
	35–49 (b)	58.76 (11.15)		(a>c)
	50–64 (c)	55.49 (15.47)
	65+ (d)	56.49 (11.50)
K-DSQ
Immature	20–34 (a)	97.26 (30.35)	1.666	0.176
	35–49 (b)	83.31 (26.84)
	50–64 (c)	90.96 (26.05)
	65+ (d)	90.77 (27.39)
Adaptive	20–34 (a)	40.93 (15.89)	1.345	0.261
	35–49 (b)	43.81 (10.49)
	50–64 (c)	45.11 (11.52)
	65+ (d)	46.03 (12.32)
Self-inhibiting	20–34 (a)	63.38 (13.40)	0.208	0.891
	35–49 (b)	61.03 (14.83)
	50–64 (c)	62.21 (12.09)
	65+ (d)	62.31 (12.96)
Conflict-avoiding	20–34 (a)	21.00 (7.31)	0.645	0.587
	35–49 (b)	18.72 (6.83)
	50–64 (c)	20.14 (6.79)
	65+ (d)	20.31 (8.66)
Coping strategies
Problem-focused	20–34 (a)	23.52 (11.14)	3.957	0.009**
	35–49 (b)	28.08 (13.91)		(c>a, d>a)
	50–64 (c)	31.10 (13.56)
	65+ (d)	32.15 (12.65)
Seeking social support	20–34 (a)	6.48 (4.75)	1.851	0.140
	35–49 (b)	7.94 (4.39)
	50–64 (c)	8.31 (3.72)
	65+ (d)	8.03 (3.86)
Emotion-focused	20–34 (a)	14.74 (4.85)	1.627	0.185
	35–49 (b)	15.56 (6.46)
	50–64 (c)	17.11 (6.26)
	65+ (d)	16.64 (5.79)
Wishful thinking	20–34 (a)	12.60 (4.75)	1.318	0.270
	35–49 (b)	14.47 (5.93)
	50–64 (c)	14.73 (5.96)
	65+ (d)	14.15 (5.87)

^*by Scheffe’s post-hoc test,

^**p<0.05.

K-DSQ: Korean-Defense Style Questionnaire, NEO-PI-R: Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory-Revised