The Objective Measure of Ego Identity was administered to 350 adolescents to test the Eriksonian theory of a developmental continuum from role diffusion to identity achievement. The results offer construct validity for the dynamic process proposed by Blos and Erikson, but do not support the categorization procedure as set forth by Adams, Shea, and…

Investigated the intercorrelations among personal concern variables of college-age adolescents (N=88) and ego identity statuses. The results assisted in distinguishing male and female identity statuses. The findings tended to indicate that coping with the identity crisis (e.g., identity status) involves concomitant personal concern components.…

Ausubel's theory of personality development in adolescence examines the role that social factors, especially parent-child relationships, play in the adolescent's struggle to find himself. An overview of this theory is presented and some parallels between it and Eriksonian theory are pointed out. Also examines some selected examples of research on…

Compared three personality theories (ego development, moral development, and conceptual systems theory) in 102 college students who completed the Sentence Completion Test, This I Believe Test, and Defining Issues Test. Results indicated a significant relationship between all three pairs of theories. (JAC)

A sense of inferiority in adolescent males can result from a split senex-puer archetype, a Jungian construct focused on the individual's identification with and/or repression of psychic age and youth. Adolescents experience healing of the split senex-puer archetype to the degrees to which they involve themselves in the eros and power of their life…

Study focused on the relationship among adolescents' negative thoughts, depressive mood and family environment. Family cohesion was found to be related to the degree of negative thoughts and depressive mood, while perceived control within the family was not. (BF)

An assumption that immigrant and American-born adolescents experience similar, normal psychological development processes was examined through a two-part research study that: (1) gathered normative data on ego development, identity and moral reasoning; and (2) field-tested an experimental curriculum intended to stimulate development in these…

Examined similarities and differences in like-sex and unlike-sex parent-adolescent modeling. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories were administered to 59 emotionally disturbed adolescents and their mothers. Results showed that the mother-daughter profiles were very similar but the mother-son profiles were dissimilar. The mother-daughter…

Examined the relationship between father acceptance, father control, and personality adjustment of 72 college women. As expected, both paternal behavior dimensions were positively related to the daughters' level of personality adjustment, suggesting authoritarian fathers have daughters who rate themselves as better adjusted. (JAC)

Dutch adolescents, ages 12 to 14, completed the Utrect-Groningen Identity Development Scale, which encompasses separate scales for commitment in exploration for relational, school, and occupational identity. Results show that relational identity becomes consistently stronger as adolescents age, and that for girls, relational identity is much more…

Article evaluated the influence of the father upon the daughter and her reaction in terms of self perception as it affected her personality development. (RK)

Investigated the identity formation in pregnant adolescents (N=30) as compared to a group of nonpregnant adolescents (N=30). Used the Ego Identity Scale to obtain a measure of ego identity. Analyzed data in relation to six hypotheses. Found pregnant adolescents scored significantly lower on the Ego Identity Scale. (RC)