Ego Development

Presents all the relevant research and theory, an indispensable companion to "Measuring Ego Dev. 2/e", the rev. manual for scoring the Washington Univ. Sentence Completion test of ego dev developed by Jane Loevinger and widely used around the world.

Jane Loevinger's innovative research methodology, psychometric rigor, and theoretical scope have attracted the attention of numerous scholars and researchers. Empirical investigations employing Loevinger's Washington University Sentence Completion Test of ego development (WUSCT) have appeared with increasing frequency and total more than 300 studies. Following the publication of the first comprehensive revision of the scoring manual for the WUSCT, this volume reflects on the strengths and limitations of Loevinger's developmental model. It is divided into sections that correspond with four broad questions that can be raised about Loevinger's developmental model: * What is its scope and intellectual tradition? * What evidence is there for construct validity? * What is its relationship to other social-developmental models? * What is its clinical relevance to Loevinger's model of ego development? This four-part grouping provides a framework for effectively organizing the present material, and frequently, the questions raised in one section are addressed in other sections as well. In the concluding chapter, Loevinger addresses some of the ideas that are proposed by the various authors. She also presents the origin of the ego development concept by recounting its history.

Ego Development and Psychopathology presents an original theoretical underpinning for classification and interpretation of the major mental disorders, one based largely on the author's clinical experience. Ausubel's central thesis is that the most significant and crucial factors predisposing persons to mental disorders are critical developmental defects that arise at vital transitional phases of ego development. He sees both normal and pathological personality functioning as most cogently explained in terms of an individual's ego structure at a given point in the life cycle. Ausubel relates his developmental theory to the phenomenology and related clinical problems of psychiatric diagnosis. He classifies mental disorders in terms of their developmental history. Such factors, in his opinion, offer the most precise delineation of etiological, functional, and phenomenological similarities and differences among the various psychiatric syndromes. He provides an overview of ego development, as well as major variants of the norm. He also discusses development of conscience and moral values, as well as psychopathological considerations that follow from deficiencies, defects, failure, and distortions in ego development. He examines at length classification of mental disorders, such as anxiety states, psychotic depression and mania, schizophrenia, autism, antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders, and defense mechanisms. Ausubel is careful to point out that ego development is not the only significant determinant of normal and aberrant personality. Genetic predispositions, situational stress, and sociocultural factors must always be taken into consideration since mental disorder is always a product of multiple causality. However, he believes ego development is by far the most critical factor, and hence offers the most for classification of mental illness. This intriguing study will be of interest to professionals as well as educated and concerned practitioners in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, child psychotherapy, and social work.

Both in research and in practice, a number of basic competencies are considered necessary for successful process-oriented coaching and consulting activities. In the present research work, the extent to which these necessary competencies are related to vertical personality development was investigated. Loevinger's model of ego development, a stage theory of development, provides the frame of reference for this study. This paper fully summarizes the current state of research on the model in order to comprehensively analyze possible relationships with coaching and consulting competencies. As a first step, the competency requirements of selected coaching and consulting associations were analyzed to determine whether they are related to ego development and whether they express minimum requirements for ego development. The analysis revealed that the competency requirements of all associations show clear parallels to aspects of ego development. The majority of these requirements point to a fully developed, self-governed stage (E6) of ego development as a prerequisite for process-oriented coaching and consulting services. In a second step, empirical studies were examined to systematically analyze the relationship between ego development and aspects relevant to coaching and consulting. The results of the current empirical studies show a clear correlation between these competencies and ego development. This means that as ego development increases, higher coaching and consulting competencies become more likely. Many studies also indicate that a fully developed, self-governed stage of ego development can be expected as the basis for consistent work at an intermediate level of competence.

This book examines the process of ego development in adolescence. It explores the diverse ways in which mothers and fathers subtly direct their teenagers on to one of the four main paths through adolescence, and facilitate or impede their development - and the equally diverse ways in which teenager's interactions with their parents may affect the parents. Throughout, choices of real children and parents are presented - some happy and successful, others troubled. The book is aimed at those who work professionally with adolescents and their families.