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Human behaviour is complex to understand, why somebody is behaving vaguely cannot be explained. Sigmund Freud the founder of psychoanalysis had said that personality is composed of three elements known as the id, the ego, and the superego. These elements work together to create multifaceted human behaviours. Each component is unique in nature and plays its distinctive role in contributing its input to personality. The three interact in ways that have a powerful influence on an individual. Each element of personality emerges at different points in life.

In this chapter, I rely heavily upon the self-psychology of Heinz Kohut (in dialogue with Freud and Jung) and argue that our conception of the ego is actually several competing conceptions. Key here as well is a distinction between ego strength and ego inflation, a distinction common in analytic psychology but often at odds with common usage and metaphor. Kohut’s distinctive defense of self-affirmation, particularly in developmental context, resonates strongly in my analysis with the work of William Blake and Walt Whitman, where self-affirmation plays a key role in the development of moral intelligence.

Introduction: Previous studies showed that personality have significant association with the outcome of performance of the students in clerkship. There are three dominance factors of personality such as Ego strength (Es), Responsibility (Re), and Dominance (Do) associated with the length of study of students. This three personality factors will be measured by using MMPI-2 Test. Aim: This study wants to find the mean difference of three factors of personality among the length of study in Faculty of Medicine of University of Pelita Harapan.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study by using the secondary data of MMPI-2 test of student from batch 2005-2006. Personality factors of Ego Strength, Responsibility, and Dominance are measure by mean and standard deviation.Results: Eighty one students were 27 males and 54 female. From 81 students, 79 persent has finished their medical study within 5.5 years (on time) and 21 persent more than 5.5 years (not on time).Corellation by using spearman test show the significant association of Es with Do (p=0.001 and r=0.357); Es with Re (p=0.001 and r=0.3589). However the Do has no show the significant correlation with Re (p=0.525; r=0.0716). Analysis of t-test show that students who has graduate on time has higher Es (mean=44.12 ± 9.71) than student graduate not on time (mean 42.82 ± 7.97). Score of Do of students has graduate on time (mean 45.85 ± 10) also higher than late graduate group (mean 41.05 ± 8.45) with p=0.0738. However the Responsibility of graduate on time (mean 48.06 ± 11.21) is lower than late graduated students (mean 49.7 ± 9.66).Conclusion: Ego strength and Dominance has positive association with the length of study.Keywords: ego strength, responsibility, dominance, MMPI-2, medical education

CelZbadanie zmiany siły ego w toku psychoterapii grupowej pacjentów leczonych z powodu zaburzeń nerwicowych i wybranych zaburzeń osobowości (F40-F61 ICD-10).MetodaW badaniu uczestniczyło 82 pacjentów (61 kobiet i 21 mężczyzn) leczonych intensywną krótkoterminową psychoterapią grupową w oddziale dziennym leczenia nerwic i zaburzeń behawioralnych. Dokonano oceny funkcjonowania osobowości pacjentów na początku i na końcu psychoterapii przy użyciu skali siły ego kwestionariusza MMPI-2.WynikiW wyniku zastosowania psychoterapii u większości pacjentów zaobserwowano znaczący wzrost siły ego. Zaobserwowano, iż znaczący przyrost w zakresie siły ego dotyczy zarówno grupy kobiet jak i mężczyzn. Nie odnotowano także różnic pomiędzy pacjentami z rozpoznaniem specyficznych zaburzeń osobowości i zaburzeń nerwicowych zarówno jeśli chodzi o wyniki początkowe, jak i końcowe. U pacjentów, którzy rozpoczynają leczenie z wartościami siły ego w zakresie niskim także dochodzi do korzystnych i istotnych klinicznie zmian.WnioskiKrótkoterminowa, intensywna psychoterapia grupowa z elementami psychoterapii indywidualnej prowadzi do uzyskania pożądanych zmian w funkcjonowaniu osobowości wyrażonych znaczącym wzrostem siły ego.

The literature on creativity has often focused on the analysis of artists and scientists. The ability to generalize these findings to respective professional sub-disciplines is examined. In particular, the present study addresses the generalizability of the personality profile of creative scientists to creative social scientists. Autonomy was found to be the most important personality feature for creativity in social sciences. These results suggest the importance of fostering an autonomous working style.

The present research intends to understand the influence of manager’s perception of quality of work life and Ego-Strength on their Organizational commitment. The study was carried out in different private and public organizations located in Delhi. Data were collected from 300 managers. Analysis of the data was done using stepwise multiple regression analysis and t-test. Results revealed that only Quality of work life has predicted Organizational Commitment in both the measured groups of managers. Results further revealed significant difference between managers of private and public undertakings on all the measured variables. The findings imply that the organizations in both the sectors need to understand and manage managers’ Ego-Strength and provide them with suitable interpersonal atmosphere to strengthen their ego so that their level of Organizational commitment could be enhanced. Results are explained in the light of present scenario in existing private and public undertakings.

The present study aimed to examine the difference in self-control strength between individuals with and without antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in a Chinese male prisoner sample. Thirty-seven male inmates who met the criteria for DSM-IV ASPD and 38 who did not were asked to watch a four-minute silent videotape of an interview, and ignore the words displayed on screen during the videotape to deplete their ego strength. A handgrip task was conducted both before and after watching the videotape, with participants' time squeezing the handgrip being the dependent variable. Result showed a significant interaction between group (ASPD/no-ASPD group) and time (baseline/post-manipulation measure). The post-manipulation result was significantly worse than the baseline result for the ASPD group, but not for the no-ASPD group. These results indicate that tasks that contribute to ego depletion lead to a deficit of self-control strength in prisoners with ASPD.

This correlational study examined the relationships among ego strengths and career identity. Self-report data were collected from a sample of university undergraduates (N = 239). Participants completed the Psychosocial Inventory of Ego Strengths and the Vocational Identity Status Assessment. The results revealed gender differences, primarily in career identity. The findings also showed that the unique variance explained in career identity by each ego strength was modest, indicating that the best predictor of career identity is the overall level of ego strengths. Suggestions for future research, such as longitudinal designs to establish ego strengths as developmental precursors of career identity, are provided.

Change in the use of defense mechanisms between late adolescence and adulthood was assessed in two different longitudinal studies from the Institute of Human Development. The results were virtually identical: the use of Identification decreased, the use of Denial increased, and there was little change in the use of Projection. Both the use of Identification at adolescence, and its subsequent decrease in adulthood were found to be predicted by ego strength and committed Identity – that is, by evidence of developmental maturity at late adolescence. The decrease in Identification is consistent with predictions from the theory of defense mechanism development: defenses are related to developmental period; once that period is concluded, the use of the related defense declines.

As director of a regional council for more than 30 years, Bill Gibson is instrumental in facilitating “boundary-crossing” collaborations that increase public value. This Administrative Profile examines three cases of regional, cross-sector collaboration catalyzed by Gibson’s leadership. Characteristics of entrepreneurship, attention to “relationship capital,” and the humility derived from ego strength combine with the context of working for a boundary organization to help explain his success.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify disease parameters, defensive styles and ego strength measurements associated with various forms of psychiatric complications in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Seventy-nine patients with MS participated in the study and 158 healthy subjects matched for age and sex served as controls. A wide range of clinical information was collected and the following self-report instruments were used: General Health Questionnaire, Symptom Distress Check List, Defense Style Questionnaire, MMPI Ego Strength Scale and Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire. Results: The odds of being assessed with a psychiatric diagnosis upon interview were 6.7 times greater among patients compared to controls and 9.3 times greater among patients with recent-onset MS compared to patients with long-term disease. Psychiatric complications of MS were closely associated with age of the disease onset and the degree of disability due to MS. Additionally, higher rates of introverted hostility, adoption of maladaptive ego defenses and weakened ego strength were also closely associated with several forms of psychological distress, especially depressive symptoms. Conclusions: MS patients experience elevated symptoms of psychological distress, especially depressive symptoms, which are most closely associated with disease parameters. However, the crucial role of various personality traits such as ego defenses and hostility features in the psychiatric symptom formation also appear to contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Clinicians involved in the clinical management of patients with MS should identify and modify treatment if these specific personality markers that indicate the exhaustion of the patient's resources to cope with the physical and psychological stress of the illness are present.

This article is the report of an investigation of relations among identity coherence/identity confusion, the ego strength of competence, antisocial behavior, academic competence, and perceptions of school environment in a sample of 574 adolescents. The primary results of this cross-sectional study suggest significant associations between identity-related constructs and indicators of adolescent adjustment. Study implications are discussed in terms of identity-related interventions.

Research has suggested that whereas stereotypical attitudes may be automatically activated, the response to these stereotypes can be controlled. Anything that interferes with self-control may result in more biased behavior. The ego strength model hypothesizes that after exerting self-control, subsequent self-control performance will suffer. Hence, depletion of ego strength may lead to increased prejudice. In 2 studies, depletion was found only to affect individuals who normally try to control their prejudicial responses. Participants who do not normally try to control their use of stereotypes were equally prejudiced, regardless of their level of ego strength. The results have implications for prejudice and stereotyping, as well as models of self-control.

This study examined the levels of ego strength and the claims of having a spiritual experience in 100 recovering alcoholics from Alcoholics Anonymous groups located in South Louisiana. The study found that greater lengths of sobriety were associated with higher ego strength scores on the following scales: Hope, Purpose, Competence, Fidelity, Care, and Wisdom. Additional findings included greater number of times in treatment was associated with higher scores on the Will, Purpose, and Fidelity scales. In addition, spirituality appeared to be involved in staying sober. Specifically, those claiming to have had multiple spiritual experiences had longer sobriety than those who had just one type of spiritual experience.

Few studies have concerned the relation between Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1991, 1993, 2003) Rorschach variables, and suitability for psychodynamic psychotherapy. In this study, I predicted correlations between 17 rationally selected CS variables and suitability for psychotherapy as represented by ratings of Dynamic Capacity and Ego Strength. The participants were 52 psychotherapy applicants between 20 and 57 years old. The ratings were performed after clinical interviews and decisions concerning selection of the applicants. EA, FC, Blends, Zf, and MQo correlated positively and YFY negatively with Dynamic Capacity ratings, whereas EA, FC, and Blends correlated positively and YFY and F% negatively with Ego Strength ratings. EA, FC, YFY, Zf, MQo, and F% also differed between the applicants selected and those not selected for psychotherapy. Considering earlier research, the results for Blends, Zf, and F% were interpreted as replications and for MQo and EA as showing satisfactory consistency.

This study examined the relation between intrinsic religious faith and psychological well-being in a sample of 210 adult participants. Intrinsic religious faith was defined not as simple agreement with religious doctrine, but as belief in and reliance on a higher power. The study's results indicate that high faith participants have significantly lower anxiety and depression scores, are less likely to exhibit signs of character pathology, and have significantly higher ego strength scores than participants with lower faith scores. Whereas significant differences were generally found between groups of high and low faith participants in terms of functioning, only modest correlations were obtained between overall faith scores and the measures of well-being, suggesting considerable individual variation in the relation between faith and psychological functioning.

A study was conducted to examine the joint influence of psychosis-proneness and ego strength on creativity in college students. Psychosis-proneness and ego strength were defined psychometrically by means of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and California Psychological Inventory profile, a procedure that resulted in creation of four categories of research subjects: (1) psychosis-prone/high ego strength, (2) psychosis-prone/low ego strength, (3) not psychosis-prone/high ego strength, and (4) not psychosis-prone/low ego strength. As predicted, psychosis-prone persons who were high in ego strength exhibited the highest level of evaluated creativity in their proposed solutions to an engineering problem and also the highest scores on the Remote Associates Test.

Verificou-se em que medida variáveis cognitivas e afetivas/emocionais diferenciariam cuidadores notificados por abusos físicos (G1) de cuidadores sem esse histórico (G2). O Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP) foi utilizado para avaliar fatores de risco psicológicos em cuidadores. Um Questionário de Caracterização sócio-demográfica e outro econômico também foram empregados para equiparar os grupos. G1 apresentou um potencial de risco superior a G2, e maiores níveis de Angústia, Rigidez, Problemas com a Criança e Consigo, Problemas com os Outros, e um menor nível de Força do Ego. Essas variáveis se articulam para compor o risco de abuso físico, pois segundo o Modelo do Processamento da Informação Social, remeteriam a processos básicos cognitivos/afetivos subjacentes a percepções e avaliações/interpretações, associados ao comportamento parental abusivo. It was verified to what extent cognitive and affective/emotional variables could distinguish caregivers accused of committing physical abuse (G1) from those without physical abuse records (G2). The Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP), which is an instrument designed to assess psychological risk factors in caregivers, was used. A questionnaire on socio-demographic characterization and another on economic classification were also employed to equate the groups. G1 presented a greater potential risk than G2, higher levels of Distress, Rigidity, Problems with the Child and with Themselves, Problems with Others, and a lower level of Ego Strength. These variables contribute with the composition of physical abuse risk, since, in agreement with the Social Information Processing Model, they would be related to cognitive and affective basic processes which are veiled to the perceptions and evaluation/interpretations, associated to abusive parental behavior.

Self-identified homosexual (n = 30), bisexual (n = 29), and heterosexual (n = 31) men were compared on measures of gender-typical behavior, sex role, ego strength, and lipid levels. Homosexual men differed significantly from the heterosexual men on the gender-typical behavior and feminine sex-role measure (both in adulthood and in childhood), and several trends and significant differences were found on the biochemical measures of lipid levels (especially when 7 obese men were removed from the analyses). As a rule, the bisexual men were different from the heterosexual men on the above measures, but were indistinguishable from the homosexual men. Bisexuals differed from both of the other two groups, however, by scoring lower on the ego strength scale and by reporting themselves to be more often troubled, lonely, and depressed. We caution that the lipid analyses were made on single blood samples and require an extended replication; however, we report the data because of their possible theoretical interest and because they replicate work of 20 years ago.

The study explored the dimensionality of parental ratings of positive and negative aspects of behaviour in a sample of 4-year-olds (n = 377). The children were described using the Preschool Behaviour Questionnaire (PBQ) with items added to include ego strength/effectance and social competence. Factor analytic results showed a 2-factor structure in the PBQ behaviour problem area: factor 1 describing externalised conduct behaviour problems; and factor 2 encompassing the internalised anxious-fearful problems. Factor analysis of both positive and negative behavioural aspects yielded a 3-factor structure with externalised problem behaviours as the first factor, a second broad social inhibition factor, and an ego strength/effectance factor. Correlations showed a low positive relationship between the two problem areas; a stronger relationship was found between the positive aspects, peer competence, and ego strength/effectance. There was a weak significant negative correlation between peer competence behaviours and outgoing conduct problems. Peer competence was more strongly negatively related to anxiousfearful behaviour problems. Conceptual and methodological aspects were discussed and the results were related to the inhibition-disinhibition construct in temperament research.

A total of 180 students in a Doctor of Psychology program of an APA-accredited Professional School of Psychology (55 men and 125 women) took the MMPI for course requirements. A large subgroup (43 men and 88 women) also completed the Adjective Check List. Men scored higher than women on the MMPI dimensions of Assertion ( Pd), Organization ( Pt), and Imagination ( Sc). Women scored higher on the Ego Strength Scale ( Es). Men scored higher on the Check List scale of Dominance. Data were compared with a previous report of MMPIs of Ph.D. students, and few differences were observed. Findings were discussed in terms of stereotypical role behaviors from which doctoral students are not yet immune.

The case of Little Hans, an unprecedented experimental child analytic treatment, is re-examined in the light of newer theory and newly derestricted documents. The understanding of the complex over-determination of Hans's phobia was not possible in the heroic age of psychoanalysis. Distance and de-idealization of the pioneer past have potentiated current reformulation of the case. Trauma, child abuse, parental strife, and the pre-oedipal mother-child relationship now emerge as important issues. With limited, yet remarkable help, Little Hans nevertheless had the ego strength and resilience to resume progressive development and to forge a successful creative career The new knowledge about Little Hans, his family, culture and child development provides new perspectives and raises new questions and challenges to the century-old pioneer report and formulations confirming and largely limited to the child's positive Oedipus complex.

The present paper (1) contrasts the prevalence of marijuana use and involvement with marijuana among 194 delinquent and 405 nondelinquent adolescents, (2) examines the utility of an expanded version of Jessor and Jessor's (1977) problem behavior model in predicting adolescent marijuana use, and (3) tests the relative importance of the predictors of marijuana use. Personality variables that were added to the Jessor problem behavior model included: (1) stimulus reducing - augmenting, (2) ego strength, (3) anxiety, and (4) field dependence. Results showed that delinquents reported using marijuana more often than nondelinquents. In the multiple regression analyses the expanded model explained a slightly greater percentage of the variance in adolescent marijuana use than the Jessor and Jessor model. Of the added personality variables, the Vando (1969) Reducer--Augmenter dimension seemed to be a particularly significant predictor. In addition, reducing--augmenting seemed to be a better predictor of involvement with marijuana than several previously used personality and demographic variables since it replaced these in the final regression equation. Perceived environment variables measuring pressure from friends to use marijuana and friends as models for marijuana use were the best predictors of marijuana use.

The apparent contradiction between the frequent incidence of affective disorders among highly creative people and studies that support significantly positive correlations between creative abilities and ego strength can be accounted for by distinguishing between the form and essence of the creative act. Creative potential is universal. All creative acts entail disrupting an existing homeostatic structure and subsequently synthesizing a new, more adaptive one. This cycle is a necessary part of the healthy response to stressful events. Thus, certain psychiatric illnesses can be reformulated as being disorders of psychobiological mechanisms underlying the creative process, a viewpoint that offers substantial benefits to psychotherapeutic efforts.

Adjustment and functioning of adoptive parents-to-be were examined during the last stage of expectancy, focusing on possible antecedents or determinants of successful parenting. Results failed to support expectations of short-term adverse effects from transitional stresses, and suggested that the expectancy period may not be equivalent for adoptive and biological parents, especially for mothers. Programmatic implications are discussed.

Objective Ego-strength depletion was examined as an explanation for dietary disinhibition in restrained eaters. We predicted that the depletion of ego strength resulting from having to choose whether to conform would undermine dietary restraint. Method Participants completed an Asch-type conformity task, after which they completed a taste-rating task in which food intake was measured. Results As predicted, restrained eaters who repeatedly exercised choice ate significantly more than did restrained eaters who did not exercise choice. Discussion An ego-strength model of dietary restraint is discussed. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 33: 165–171, 2003.

A healthy ego-strength is connected to a healthy self-concept, one that is flexible, thus can look at a situation and see outcome of it, understand the difference between wants and needs, and practices acceptance to distinguish between what can and cannot be changed, to respond accordingly. The aim of this research was to compare the ego strength of addicted and non addicted people. The sample size of 200 men (100 addicts+ 100 non addicts) living in Karaj and Tehran cities of Islamic Republic of Iran that was selected through the availability sampling. To collect data, a 52-item BESS (Barron’s ego strength scale) questionnaire was used. The normal t-test was applied as statistics methods and for data analysis using SPSS software. Sig.-value of 0.0001 indicates that the difference between the addicted and healthy people is statistically significant. The high ego-strength scores of the healthy people indicate that they can defeat the difficulties. On the other hand, the low ego-strength scores of the addicted people indicate that they cannot overcome the problem correctly.

The prevalence of alexithymia in a group of newly abstinent male substance abusers (N = 44) was 50%. The alexithymic patients had significantly less ego strength and repressive defensive behavior and significantly higher levels of somatic complaints and general dysphoria.

The authors examined the associations of scores on a measure of alexithymia and related basic dimensions of personality on college maladjustment in a sample of 387 students. Scores on two alexithymia constructs (difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings) were significantly and positively correlated with scores on college maladjustment. Partial correlations controlling for scores on ego strength eliminated significant differences apparent in the simple correlations. College maladjustment may be related to the two alexithymia constructs with weakness of ego strength.

This study investigated the hypothesis that dimensions of locus of control are differentially predictive of adjustment criteria for males and females. Two samples of undergraduates completed the Reid-Ware Three-Factor Locus of Control Scale and either the Texas Social Behavior Inventory or the Zander and Thomas version of the Barron ego strength scale. For both males and females, internals reported greater self-esteem and ego strength. However, for males, the fatalism dimension was the strongest predictor for each adjustment correlate. The social system control dimension was not predictive for males in either case. For females, the social system control dimension was predictive for each adjustment correlate, although it was not consistently the strongest predictor. The results are consistent with research on sex differences in parental antecedents of locus of control. Methodological implications of the differential predictiveness of locus of control dimensions are also addressed.

In Study I, 85 male undergraduate physical education majors were compared to the norms on the 1962 16 PF test; is were higher in ego strength, dominant, enthusiastic, practical, naive, self-assured, and group-dependent. In Study II, 50 similar Ss took the 1967 test and were lower in intelligence, higher in superego strength, and were more practical and controlled. In Study III, 39 similar female Ss took the 1967 test and were lower in intelligence, reserved, practical, and conservative. Centiles calculated from the raw scores showed the groups deviated from the normative groups by 15 points or more on some of these traits. Findings generally agree with previous work using the same instrument and disagree with common conclusions regarding fitness for teaching by other investigators using different instruments.

In a study of the relationship among three temporal dimensions, viz., competence, extension, and evaluation, and a number of personality variables including ego strength, external control, and dogmatism for 21 males and 19 females time competence and temporal evaluation related closely to a number of these variables while the relationship with extension was weak. The implications were discussed with reference to the value and validity of measures of temporal extension.

Tested over 3,000 boys (identical and fraternal twins, ordinary sibs, general population) aged 12–18 on Ego Strength, Super Ego Strength, and Self Sentiment. The Multiple Abstract Variance Analysis (MAVA) method was used to obtain estimates of abstract (hereditary, environmental) variances and covariances that contribute to total variation in the three traits. Within-family heritabilities for these traits were about 0.30, 0.05, and 0.65. Between-family heritabilities were 0.60, 0.08, and 0.45. Within-family correlations of genetic and environmental deviations were trivial, unusually so among personality variables, but between-family values showed the usual high negative values, consistent with the law of coercion to the biosocial mean.

The present study was conducted to determine whether there exists a relationship between regularities in individuals' thought and mood experiences, and regularities in their personality characteristics. Thought samples were collected from 87 students by randomly interrupting a series of university lectures and exams. Students rated their experiences on 42 cognitive and affective variables, yielding data which were factor analyzed and then correlated with scales for the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). Factors produced from the classroom data (Aggressive/Bad Mood, Pleasant/Sexual, Clear Thought, Daydreaming/Past Sexual, Duration, Self-Critical) generally corresponded to factors described in earlier thought-sampling studies. Significant correlations were observed between three of these factors and scales from the 16PF: individuals scoring high on the Aggressive/Bad Mood factor tended to have low ego strength and to be highly apprehensive; individuals with high Self-Critical factor scores also tended to be high in apprehension and low in ego strength, as well being tense, practical, and shy; and individuals with a high Clear Thought factor score tended to be highly imaginative, as measured by the 16PF.

Presentation of a token of appreciation to elderly respondents was used as an opportunity to test some hypotheses in regard to the dynamics of giving and receiving. Specific gift-situation reactions which seemed relevant to ego strength, dependency and retentiveness were used to predict scores on more traditional measures of these personality-behavior traits. Two populations of elderly men and women were studied. All were residents of public housing facilities. Correlations of gift-behavior ratings with criterion data collected nine months later confirm that the style in which a gift is received discloses basic personality functions. The findings suggest that the growing necessity to pay or otherwise reciprocate for data may provide opportunity for additional hypothesis testing.

One hundred and twenty-nine female undergraduates took the Barron's Ego Strength Scale, the Levenson Locus of Control Scale, and the Holland VPI. Congruence scores were calculated using three-letter codes from the VPI and expressed major choice. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that congruent subjects were significantly more consistent and reported higher levels of certainty and perceived congruence. No satisfaction differences were found. Results are discussed with respect to Holland's theory and previous research on the correlates of congruent person-environment interactions.

The Study represents an extension of the author's use of the Aberdeen Psychiatric Case Register to explore the nature of the relationship between early parent death and adult psychiatric illness. It became known that 576 patients, i. e. 8.5% of the original case register sample, had at some time completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (M. M. P. I.), and also that a programme was available for extracting scores on 75 different scales. It was decided therefore to add the M. M. P. I. data to the existing case-register computer store in order to investigate the possibility that early parent death may have an effect upon the subsequent adult personality. In the present study only four scales were considered; they were selected because they seemed the most likely, in the light of current theories to be affected by the early death of a parent. They were Dependency (Dy.), Dominance (DO.), Ego Strength (Es.) and Self Sufficiency (Sf.). Only one of these scales, Dependency, proved to be significantly associated with early parent death and this was so only for women whose mothers had died before they were ten. Examination of the original case records of the seventeen early mother bereaved women identified in this study provided important validation for the statistically derived conclusion that such women tended to become excessively dependant. The study is a good example of the complementarity of the epidemiological and clinical approach which is possible in case register research.

Previous research has documented that lesbians and gay men proceed through a series of stages in developing a positive lesbian and gay identity. The relationship between lesbian and gay identity and subsequent psychological adjustment has not been evaluated. These empirical studies found that positive lesbian and gay identity is related to psychological adjustment as measured by lower neurotic anxiety and greater ego strength in both an older and a younger sample of lesbians and gay men. Two coping strategies—self-labeling as a homosexual and self-disclosure of sexual orientation to others—were related to development of a positive lesbian or gay identity. These findings suggest that development of a positive lesbian or gay identity is an important task in promoting the psychological adjustment of lesbians and gay men.

It was hypothesized that screening applicants for theft proneness using the Reid Report might screen in more conservative, more rigid, and less creative candidates, in effect outweighing the benefits of the instrument. A sample of 179 applicants were administered the 16PF and the Reid Report. Sex, minority status, and type of position applied for were shown to be independent of performance on the Reid Report. Applicants passing the Reid Report were shown, at a statistically significant level, to have higher ego strength, to be less anxious, more apt to behave in socially desirable ways, less driven by id impulses, and less inhibited. Furthermore, applicants failing the Reid Report were shown to have total 16PF profiles which were statistically significantly closer (D2) to the 16PF profiles of five pathological groups than were those passing the Reid Report. Higher scores on the Reid Report were related to faking good on the 16PF. Since the relationship between 16PF faking good and the Reid Report may be indicative of real personality variance, distortion variance, or both follow-up research has been suggested.

— Severe personality disturbance is a feature that possibly explains chronicity in eating disorders, a largely inexplicable development in terms of previously investigated factors. We tested this hypothesis in a group of 41 anorectics and bulimics with ratings of 13 ego functions and of status at 1-year follow-up. Patients who stiil were preoccupied with weight or shape and had a DSM-111-R eating disorder at follow-up had more severe ego disturbance at initial presentation than those who were free from sympioms. The relevance of demographics, syndromal diagnosis and clinical factors other than ego functioning was limited. The importance of ego functioning for prognosis in eating disorders thus appears to overshadow that of several factors that have been extensively cited in the literature.

Compared with opiate addicts, alcoholics scored higher on the Hs (hypochondriasis), D (depression), Hy (hysteria). A (anxiety) and MacAndrew Scales of the MMPI and lower on the K (defensiveness). Ma (activity) and Es (ego strength) scales, but age was the most powerful discriminator between the two groups.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the degree of relationship between the scores on Barron's Ego Strength Scale and those on the Conformity scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory. The total N of 45 consisted of 33 females and 12 males. The mean age for the entire sample was 23.13. The obtained coefficient of -.63 was significant beyond the .01 level.

A novel hypnotherapeutic procedure is described wherein the client reverses roles and serves as hypnotist for the therapist. Relevant theoretical processes are discussed as are mutual hypnosis, modeling, and the uncommon techniques of Erickson (1964). 3 case illustrations are presented and implications discussed. It is hypothesized that the “client-as-hypnotist” may in certain special situations further hypnotherapy by: (a) increasing client motivation; (b) enhancing therapeutic rapport; (c) increasing both client trust and skills in utilizing unconscious processes; (d) overcoming resistance and increasing hypnotizability; (e) providing a useful psychodiagnostic and behavior assessment index; (f) presenting a role “model” for dealing with feelings, alterations in consciousness, and self-control; (g) providing a client-centered framework for subsequent therapeutic interventions; (h) increasing client self-esteem, mastery, and ego strength; and (i) increasing client self-control skills. Potential r...

This research was an inquiry into prisoners' preference for and evaluation of either a peer counselor inmate trained in counseling or a professional counselor. Through the use of videotaped, simulated counseling vignettes, reactions of 98 male inmates of a federal penal institution were examined. Of particular interest was whether or not an inmate's level of adjustment, as measured by Barron's Ego Strength Scale, was related to preference for either a peer or professional counselor. The Ego Strength Scale failed to serve as a useful predictor of inmates' preference for type of counselor. A significant number of subjects preferred the professional counselor over the peer counselor; however, this preference did not lead to more favorable evaluations by subjects who preferred either the peer or professional counselor. Implications for the use of peer and professional counselors in penal institutions are discussed.

When alcoholics and nonalcoholics were compared on field dependence, stimulus augmenting (sensitivity to stimuli from the environment), anxiety and ego strength, they differed most in ego strength.