Changes in ego and moral development in adolescents: a longitudinal study

Abstract

A longitudinal study was designed to examine the relation between Loevinger's measure of ego development and moral development as indexed by Rest's Defining Issues Test in a sample of 123 adolescents at 12 to 14 years of age and four years later. Study I assessed differential rates of change and theoretically predicted directions of change in the two developmental functions and gender differences in ego development. Substantial ego stage movement occurred (60 per cent advancement, 40 per cent stability); moral growth was moderate. Girls scored a half ego stage ahead of boys; patterns of directional change were similar. Ego level and moral development related at either fixed point in time, but ego functioning in early adolescence did not predict subsequent moral development. Study II addressed adolescents' perceptions of parenting styles in relation to these social cognitive functions. Parental behaviours that involve loving or support related to higher ego levels; parental demanding associated with lower ego development in early adolescence. Traditional gender‐related parent socialization was found among girls and boys with greater ego development. The mediating role of perceived childrearing styles was considered in relation to gender differences in ego development.

Revised Description and Measurement of Ego Development in Early Adolescence:

“…The present findings and the findings from other studies (e.g., Avery & Ryan, 1988;Gfellner, 1986; for an overview see Cohn, 1998) indicate the Self-Protective ego level to be the modal level in the early adolescence period. According to the revised description of ego development, the most important aspect of the transition from the Impulsive to the Self-Protective ego level is the reversal of a basically dependent attitude toward a basically independent attitude (Westenberg, Jonckheer, et al, 1998).…”

“…A good relationship is defined by the sharing of innermost feelings and thoughts. Empirical studies have indicated that the Self-Aware ego level is very rare in early adolescence, and the higher ego levels (see Table 1) are not at all relevant to young adolescents (e.g., Avery & Ryan, 1988;Cohn, 1998;Gfellner, 1986;Westenberg & Block, 1993).…”

“…The presumption that differential maturity is related to individual differences within age cohorts has been demonstrated in numerous research studies that have addressed a wide variety of issues (e.g., John, Pals, & Westenberg, 1998;. Level of ego development was related to various issues regarded as central to (early) adolescence (Loevinger, 1990;Petersen, 1984), such as identity (Blasi, 1988;Blasi & Milton, 1991;Kroger, 1989), moral judgment (Gfellner, 1986;Snarey, 1998), problem behaviors (Noam et al, 1984;Novy, Gaa, Frankiewicz, Liberman, & Amerikaner, 1992), coping (Hauser, Borman, Bowlds, et al, 1991;, ego resiliency (Westenberg & Block, 1993), depression (Rierdan, 1998;Rierdan & Koff, 1991, 1993, suicide (Borst & Noam, 1993;Borst, Noam, & Bartok, 1991), social anxieties (Westenberg, Siebelink, Warmenhoven, & Treffers, 1999;Westenberg, Siebelink, & Treffers, 2001), gender differences (Cohn, 1991), interpersonal style and peer relations (Hansell, 1981;Hauser, 1978), risk taking (Kishton, Starrett, & Lucas, 1984;Philliber, Namerow, Kaye, & Kunkes, 1986), and parental style and family contexts (e.g., Adams & Jones, 1981;Allen, Hauser, Bell, & O'Connor, 1994;.…”

Ego Development and Adolescent Academic Achievement

“…Other studies have examined gender comparisons in ego development during the adolescent and young adult years. Research suggests that during the high school years both girls and boys cluster around the Conformist and Self‐Aware stages, with most of the distribution falling between the Self‐Protective (E3) and Conscientious (E6) stages (Gfellner, 1986; Westenberg & Gjerde, 1999). Gender differences have been consistently found, with girls demonstrating higher ego development through high school (Cohn, 1991: Gfellner, 1986; Mabry, 1993).…”

“…Research suggests that during the high school years both girls and boys cluster around the Conformist and Self‐Aware stages, with most of the distribution falling between the Self‐Protective (E3) and Conscientious (E6) stages (Gfellner, 1986; Westenberg & Gjerde, 1999). Gender differences have been consistently found, with girls demonstrating higher ego development through high school (Cohn, 1991: Gfellner, 1986; Mabry, 1993). Research suggests, however, that by the time children leave adolescence and move into young adulthood, there are no significant differences between the sexes (Bursik, 1995; Redmore, 1983).…”