The age of onset for eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia nervosa) among females is typically late adolescence. In the present study, it was hypothesized that the onset of eating disorders is related to the late-adolescent developmental task of identity development. Thirty-three late adolescent and young adult females who met DSM-III-R criteria for an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified) and 33 control females completed the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity status -- 2 (EOMEIS-2). Results of chi square analyses revealed no significant differences between eating disorder and control females with regard to status of identity development. However, when identity status subscale scores were treated as continuous variables, several significant between-group mean differences emerged. In line with expectations, eating disorder subjects scored higher on ideological diffusion and moratorium, and they scored lower on ideological achievement. Eating disorder subjects also scored higher on interpersonal diffusion and lower on interpersonal achievement. In addition, there were significant correlations between ideological diffusion and measures of depression and anxiety. Unexpectedly, there were also significant correlations between ideological moratorium and measures of depression, anxiety, social alienation, family discord, and borderline personality symptomatology. The possible implications of these results for understanding frequently occurring, co-morbid symptoms in eating disorder subjects are discussed.

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The study reviews the structural and psychometric underpinnings of Loevinger's theory of ego development. It is noted that the current literature investigating the validity of Loevinger's model has not adequately addressed the structural assumptions of the theory. "Process" variables are hypothesized to vary depending on the process of structural change. Two such variables, cognitive complexity and the organization of cognitive constructs, were measured in 73 college students, staff, and faculty members in three North Texas institutions. Level of ego development, measured by the Washington University Sentence Completion Test, was assessed in each subject and the pattern of cognitive complexity and construct organization was evaluated across ego levels. Results offer only limited support for the stage model's structural assumptions. Discussion highlights several inadequacies in Loevinger's instrument and offers a direction for possible revision. Implications of the results are examined in terms of current theoretical issues.

This study explored psychopathic personality traits among a non-criminal, college undergraduate sample. Much research has been done on conceptualizing the construct of psychopathy, but this work has been conducted primarily with incarcerated individuals using a structured interview, The Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991, 2003). The goal of the current study was to assess psychopathic traits among non-criminal individuals using The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale - Version Four (SRP-IV; Paulhus, Neumann, & Hare, in press), and compare how SRP-IV scores were associated with a well recognized semi-structured interview for psychopathy, The Psychopathy Checklist – Screening Version (PCL: SV; Hart, Cox, & Hare, 1995). The study also examined whether psychopathic personality traits could be predicted using a measure of normal-range personality, based on the five-factor model (FFM; Digman, 1990), and a measure developed by Loevinger (1976) related to ego development. Five-Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF; Mullins-Sweat, Jamerson, Samuel, Olson, & Widiger, 2006) scores and Total Protocol Ratings (TPR score) on the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT; Hy & Loevinger, 1996) were used to predict psychopathy scores. Correlations of SRP-IV scores and PCL: SV scores with FFMRF scores and WUSCT TPR scores were also examined for their uniformity. As predicted, there were significant, negative correlations between FFM domains, Agreeableness and Conscientious, and SRP-IV scores, as well as significant, negative correlations between WUSCT TPR scores and SRP-IV scores. These correlations ranged from small to strong for both SRP-IV overall scores and for SRP-IV factor scores (i.e., Interpersonal Manipulation, Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, and Criminal Tendencies). Additionally, FFM domain scores and WUSCT TPR scores significantly predicted SRP-IV scores. FFM domains, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and WUSCT TPR scores, were the strongest predictors of SRP-IV scores. Similar results were found when FFM domain scores and WUSCT TPR scores predicted SRP-IV factor scores. Results also indicated Agreeableness and Conscientious explained an additional 24% of the variance in psychopathy scores, after controlling for WUSCT TPR scores. Conversely, WUSCT TPR scores explained an additional 5% of the variance in psychopathy scores after controlling for Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Finally, as predicted, the differences in correlations between psychopathy scores (i.e., PCL: SV, SRP-IV), and Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and WUSCT TPR scores were not statistically significant providing evidence that correlates of psychopathic traits can be measured among non-criminal individuals using a self-report measure, the SRP-IV, and that these findings are concordant with those based on a standardized structured assessment for psychopathy. Limitations of the study, implications, and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Counselor Educators are interested in assessing and promoting the professional and personal development of those in the counseling profession, including their ego and ethical development. While there has been much research concerning such development, there is insufficient research concerning the level of personal development of Counselor Educators themselves, and how such development progresses over the course of their tenure as professors. Thus, this dissertation assessed the ethical decision-making and ego development of Counselor Educators who earned their doctorates from institutions accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and who are currently working as Counselor Educators at a CACREP-accredited program. In particular, the following questions had sought to be answered: (a) What is the level of ego development of Counselor Educators and how do they develop over their tenure as professors? (b) What is the ethical decision-making level of Counselor Educators and how do they develop over their tenure as professors? (c) What is the relationship between ego development and ethical decision-making as Counselor Educators develop both of these over their tenure? and (d) How do the varying environments, qualities, and responsibilities of Counselor Educators relate to ego development and level of ethical decision-making? Essentially, the Researcher categorized Counselor Educators into two groups, according to their level of tenure: untenured (assistant professors) and tenured (associate professors and full professors). The Researcher then measured ego development, using the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT; Hy & Loevinger, 1996), and ethical decision-making, using the Ethical Decision-Making Scale—Revised (EDMS-R; Dufrene, 2000). The Researcher then compared WUSCT stages and EDMS-R P indexes for each of the two group-mean scores through a one-way analysis of variance ANOVA), in order to ascertain if there were developmental differences between the two groups. It was anticipated that tenured professors, on the whole, would be more developed than untenured professors. The results from the present study tentatively indicate that Counselor Educators are well-developed, in terms of ego development and ethical decision-making. Of the four research questions, there was one finding of significance: participants who stated that they were not very challenged by their department had higher EDMS-R P indexes than those who were challenged.

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The primary purposes of this study were (a) to investigate the relationship between counseling interns' site supervisors' experience and training in supervision and their own levels of ego development and (b) to investigate the relationship between supervisors' levels of ego development and the ego functioning and occupational stress of their intern-supervisees. The theoretical framework for this investigation included cognitive developmental models of supervision (e.g., Blocher, 1983; Stoltenberg, 1981), ego development (Loevinger, 1976, 1997) and the Person-Environment Fit theory of occupational stress (French, Rogers, & Cobb, 1974). The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of (a) the levels of ego development and post-degree clinical supervision experiences of internship site supervisors in different areas of counseling specialty; (b) the relationship between social-cognitive developmental levels and levels of perceived occupational stress in counseling interns; and (c) cognitive development theory and counseling supervision. Ninety-six counseling internship students in three master's level counseling programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in Central Florida as well as 58 (73% response rate) of their internship site supervisors participated in the study. The site supervisors completed the Supervisors Experience Questionnaire (Walter, 2008) and the Washington University Sentence Completion Test--Form 81 (WUSCT; Hy & Loevinger, 1996). The participating counseling internship students completed a demographics questionnaire, the WUSCT--Form 81, and the Occupational Stress Inventory--Revised (OSI-R; Osipow, 1998). The statistical procedures used to analyze the data included chi-square, ANOVA, simultaneous multiple regression, and MANOVA procedures. The primary research hypotheses for the study were (1) that formal training in supervision and participation in post-graduate clinical supervision would predict supervisor ego development and (2) that supervisor ego development would predict supervisee ego development and occupational stress levels; these were not supported for these data. However, the results identified statistically significant relationships between supervisor participation in post-graduate clinical supervision and area of counseling specialty, with school counselor supervisors less likely to have participated in supervision than other supervisors. Additionally, the findings identified a negative correlation between interns' levels of perceived occupational stress and their ego development levels (14.6% of the variance explained), as well as a negative correlation between interns' levels of satisfaction with their internship site supervision and their levels of occupational stress (40% of the variance explained). The data from this investigation suggested that school counseling interns experienced higher levels of occupational stress due to occupational roles and lower levels of personal resources than interns in other counseling tracks, with the track accounting for 25.6% of the variance in the occupational stress levels. Implications for counseling supervisors and counselor educators are presented, along with areas for future investigation.

This study investigated potential relationships between master's level counseling students' levels of ego development and their identified orientations to one of six guiding theories of counseling; students' theoretical orientation classifications when classified according to the theory's domain of emphasis: affective, behavioral, or cognitive; students' degrees of confidence in identifying their theoretical orientations; and students' degrees of comfort in applying their theories in clinical practice. Seventy participants enrolled in a master's level practicum course completed the Washington University Sentence Completion Test, a measure of ego development, and the Counseling Theory Survey, a survey developed by the researcher, in order to identify students' identified theoretical orientations, students' degrees of confidence in identifying their theoretical orientations, and students' degrees of comfort in applying their theories in clinical practice. Ego development level was operationalized as a dichotomous variable consisting of level E5 and below and E6 and above, based on the developmental task attained at E6: a shift from emphasis on in-group identity to self-evaluated standards. To determine potential relationships between the students' ego development levels and their theoretical orientations and their orientations when classified by domain of emphasis, 2 x 4 and 2 x 3 Chi-square analyses were used. Independent t-tests were conducted to determine if the students' degrees of confidence in identifying their theoretical orientation and their degrees of comfort in applying their orientation varied across the two groups. No statistically significant results were found. Alternative explanations for the identification of theoretical orientation, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are discussed with emphasis on the need for greater integration of current theories related to the identification of theoretical orientation.

This study examined the nature and prevalence of ego strength among early adolescent learners in grade nine attending an independent school. An in-depth literature review was conducted in order to explore the role and theories of ego development. Thereafter, theories and key aspects of various dimensions of adolescent development were highlighted. The empirical investigation included both quantitative and qualitative research methodology. A questionnaire was administered to one hundred and ten grade nine learners in order to obtain a broad measure of the respondents' ego and superego strength. Thereafter, two learners were selected in order to explore their experiential life worlds. The findings of the empirical investigation were compared with information that emerged from the literature study. The study was concluded by offering recommendations to parents, educators and professionals working in the field of psychology of education in empowering them in addressing the phenomenon of ego development among early adolescent learners. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Att ha diagnosen Aspergers syndrom innebär bl a sociala problem och psykisk sårbarhet. Denna kvalitativa studie omfattar intervjuer med fyra  psykoterapeuter och en psykolog, som har erfarenhet av att behandla personer med Aspergers syndrom. Syftet med studien är att undersöka psykoterapeuters syn på psykodynamisk psykoterapi med personer med Asperger syndrom. Frågeställningarna har varit: hur lägger man upp en terapeutisk behandling för personer med Aspergers syndrom? Vilka aspekter inom terapin med personer med Aspergers syndrom är viktiga för behandlingen?  Studien visar att teraputerna arbetar utifrån olika psykodynamiska teorier. Terapeuten behöver också ha stora kunskaper om funktionshindret. Att terapeuten har kunskap om vilka effekter funktionshindret har på personer med Asperger syndrom medför att viktiga komponenter som bemötande och arbetsallians möjliggörs och som är grunden för ett fortsatt behandlingsarbete. Vidare anses det viktigt att ta hänsyn till den specifika livssituation och historia som personer med Aspergers syndrom har, eftersom tidigare erfarenheter har betydelse för hur patienten handlar, reagerar och förstår sina livsmönster i nuet. Samtliga terapeuter betonar att personer med Aspergers syndrom i behandlingen har förbättrat sitt sociala samspel. Dessutom tycks det som att det fordras mycket av terapeuten i behandlingen med denna målgrupp eftersom det är långa behandlingar och att det är känslomässigt påfrestande att arbeta med personer med Aspergers. / To be diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome involves among other social problems and psychological vulnerability. The sample consists of four psychotherapists and one psychologist, who have experience in treating people with Asperger syndrome. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychotherapists’ view of psychodynamic psychotherapy with people with Asperger syndrome. Questions have been; How do you set up a therapeutic treatment for people with Asperger's syndrome? What aspects in therapy with people with Asperger syndrome are important to the treatment? The study shows that therapists work from various psychodynamic theories. The therapist must also have vast knowledge of the disability. The therapist’s knowledge of the effects disability has on people with Asperger syndrome causes the key components that touch and working alliance is made possible and is the basis for continuing treatment work. Furthermore, it is important to take into account the specific situation in life and history that people with Asperger syndrome have, because past experience is relevant to how the patient react and understand their patterns of life in the present. All therapists stress that people with Asperger syndrome in treatment have improved their social interaction. Moreover, it seems that it requires a lot of the therapist in the treatment with this audience, because it is long treatments and that it is emotionally stressful to work with people with Asperger's