Biomedical subjects

P M Westenberg

Publications and source records attributed to P M Westenberg.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

The impact of modified instructions on ego-level scores: a psychometric hazard or indication of optimal ego level?

Various modified instructions have different effects on the Washington University Sentence Completion Test for Ego Development (Loevinger, 1985). These effects were reviewed and 2 alternative explanations were explored: The "measurement unreliability explanation" versus the "optimal level explanation." Both explanations were systematically studied in 2 test-retest experiments with the Sentence Completion Test for Children and Youths (Westenberg, Treffers, & Drewes, 1998). The modified instructions were to make a favorable impression on the tester ("fake good" condition) or to complete the sentences in as adult and mature a manner as one can ("be mature" condition). Both experiments were conducted with 9- to 15-year-old children and adolescents (N = 127, 128). As was anticipated, neither the fake good nor the be mature condition yielded higher (or lower) reliability indexes as compared to the standard instructions, hence discounting the measurement unreliability explanation. Also as expected, the fake good condition did not yield significantly higher ego-level scores, whereas the be mature condition did yield significantly higher ego-level scores. The former instructions did not convey information relevant to the construct or measure of ego development, whereas the latter instructions did convey information relevant for raising ego-level scores. It is argued that the higher scores under the be mature instructions might reflect the respondents' "optimal" ego level (best functioning), whereas the ego-level score under the standard instructions might reflect their "functional" level (normal functioning).

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Separation anxiety and overanxious disorders: relations to age and level of psychosocial maturity.

OBJECTIVE: To study the developmental underpinnings of age trends in the prevalence of separation anxiety disorder (SAD) and overanxious disorder (OAD) in children and adolescents. METHOD: The sample consisted of 118 children and adolescents (aged 8-18 years) with SAD or OAD, who were referred to an outpatient psychiatric clinic. Anxiety disorders were assessed with Silverman and Nelles' Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children; level of psychosocial development was conceptualized and assessed by means of Jane Loevinger's model and measure of ego development. Logistic regression analyses were applied to study the extent to which age and level of ego development were related to the presence of SAD or OAD. RESULTS: Level of ego development was the strongest predictor of group membership (SAD versus OAD). Although age was a strong predictor as well, the age effect became insignificant after ego level had been entered into the regression equation. As predicted, SAD was related primarily to the Impulsive ego level, whereas OAD was related mostly to the Conformist ego level. The comorbid condition (SAD and OAD) fell squarely in between the 2 "pure" groups, both in terms of age and ego level. The results were controlled for possibly confounding variables, such as gender, IQ, and socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of SAD and OAD appears to be related to specific levels of psychosocial maturity, irrespective of age.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Personality prototypes and ego development: conceptual similarities and relations in adult women.

Three studies investigated how three personality prototypes (K. York & O.P. John, 1992) relate to J. Loevinger's (1976) stages of ego development (ED). Study 1 examined their conceptual similarities, and Study 2 their relations in a sample of adult women. In both studies, the personality prototypes mapped onto regions defined by multiple ED stages: The Individuated prototype was most likely to reach the high region of ED (Individualistic, Autonomous, and Integrated); the Traditional prototype was most likely to function in the middle region (Conformist, Self-aware, and Conscientious); and the Conflicted prototype was more likely to remain in the low region (Impulsive and Self-protective). In addition to these between-prototype differences, Study 3 explored whether differences in life outcomes within the prototypes are also related to ED; findings suggest that personality prototype and ego development may interact in shaping the life course.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

The factor structure of the Buss and Plomin EAS Temperament Survey (parental ratings) in a Dutch sample of elementary school children.

The psychometric properties of the Buss and Plomin (1984) EAS Temperament Survey for Children (Parental Ratings) were examined in a sample of Dutch children between 4 and 13 years of age. Ratings were obtained from 230 mothers and 172 fathers. The findings presented here provide the lacking cross-validation of the original analyses by Rowe and Plomin (1977): Emotionality, activity, and shyness were independent temperaments, regardless of age and gender. The factorial position of the yet experimental Sociability scale is more ambiguous: Sociability was significantly related to both shyness and activity but was more strongly associated with shyness in the youngest age cohort and most strongly with activity in the oldest cohort. This age trend, combined with a positive association with activity, supports the premise that sociability cannot be equated to nonshyness and justifies the inclusion of a separate Sociability scale in the EAS. All four EAS scales are reliable in terms of internal consistency and interrater agreement, but one modification of the Sociability scale is needed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Ego development and individual differences in personality.

The relation between individual differences in personality and differences in developmental maturity was studied by relating observations of personality by multiple, independent judges to level of ego development. The personality characteristics of longitudinally followed Ss (104 at age 14; 98 at age 23) were evaluated by the California Adult Q-Set (CAQ); ego level was evaluated by the Washington University Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development (SCT). A priori personality dimensions--consisting of CAQ items for which a common developmental pathway was expected--were constructed and related to the SCT: (a) Ego-resiliency and interpersonal integrity were associated with increasing ego development, (b) conformity was associated with the Conformist level and, unexpectedly, to the Conscientious level, (c) need regulation was associated with the Conscientious level, and (d) self-ease and expressiveness-playfulness were not associated with ego level.

Adolescent↗