EGO DEVELOPMENT AND FEMALE DELINQUENCY - A COGNITIVE-DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH

• NCJ Number: 46300
• Journal: Journal of Abnormal Psychology Volume: 85 Issue: 5 Dated: (OCTOBER 1976) Pages: 505-510
• Author(s): S FRANK; D M QUINLAN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: American Psychological Assoc
• Sale Source: University of Maryland
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SIXTY-SIX TEENAGE GIRLS OF SIMILAR AGE, EDUCATION, AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND WERE TESTED IN AN EFFORT TO ESTABLISH A LINK BETWEEN EGO DEVELOPMENT AND DELINQUENCY.

Abstract

THREE GROUPS OF BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN INNER-CITY ADOLESCENT GIRLS, COMPRISED OF 25 DELINQUENTS IN A CITY INSTITUTION; 25 NONDELINQUENTS WHO WERE PARTICIPANTS IN A SETTLEMENT HOUSE RECREATIONAL PROGRAM, AND 16 MEMBERS OF THE SETTLEMENT'S LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM, WERE GIVEN THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST (SCT) FOR MEASURING EGO DEVELOPMENT. STAGES OF EGO DEVELOPMENT ARE DESCRIBED. DELINQUENTS SCORED MORE FREQUENTLY AT THE IMPULSIVE STAGE THAN NONDELINQUENTS; NONDELINQUENTS SCORED BEYOND THE SELF-PROTECTIVE STAGE. HOWEVER, AN EQUAL NUMBER OF DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS SCORED ABOVE THE SELF-PROTECTIVE STAGE. FIGHTING, TO A LESSER DEGREE RUNNING AWAY, AND HOMOSEXUALITY, WERE SHOWN TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN HIGHER AND LOWER LEVELS OF EGO DEVELOPMENT. A QUALITATIVE DISTINCTION WAS SUGGESTED BY THE INTERVIEW DATA COLLECTED ON A SELF-REPORT BASIS, AND CONFIRMED BY SOCIAL WORKERS, COUNSELORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS; IT WAS NOT REFLECTED IN THE EMPIRICAL FINDINGS. THE DISTINCTION WITHIN THE DELINQUENT SAMPLE BETWEEN TWO LEVELS OF EGO DEVELOPMENT PARALLELS AND CLARIFIES FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS, SUGGESTING THAT DELINQUENTS FALL INTO TWO GROUPS THAT DIFFER IN DEGREE OF SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL DISRUPTION. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUPPORT THE USEFULNESS OF THE COGNITIVE-DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH IN UNDERSTANDING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AS BEING MEDIATED BY A STABLE WAY OF PERCEIVING AND CONSTRUING THE ENVIRONMENT. THE APPARENT VALIDITY OF THE SCT AT LOWER STAGES, THE EASE OF ITS ADMINISTRATION AND ITS ESTABLISHED RELIABILITY IN SCORING, SUGGEST THAT THE SCT IS A VALUABLE INSTRUMENT FOR PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH. TABULAR DATA REGARDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF AGE AND ETHNIC ORIGIN FOR EACH GROUP, MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE AND EGO STAGE, AND FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF EGO STAGE FOR EACH GROUP, ARE PRESENTED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)