Abstract
A new measure of Erikson’s final psychosocial stage, Integrity versus Despair, is presented and validated across two studies.
In the first, 97 adults (68 women and 31 men) aged 65 and older responded to this measure: the Self-Examination Interview
(SEI). Responses on the SEI were treated both categorically and dimensionally (continuous scores) with respect to four integrity
statuses: Integrated, Nonexploring, Pseudointegrated, and Despairing. In Study One, categorical and dimensional Integrity
statuses were examined in relation to five convergent measures: the Integrity subscale of the Modified Eriksonian Psychosocial
Inventory, Openness to Experience, the Competence subscale of the California Personality Inventory, the Geriatric Depression
Scale, and Perceived Health. As hypothesized, Integrated respondents were socially competent and resilient; Nonexploring persons
conventional; Pseudointegrated respondents immature; and Despairing persons, demoralized. A subsample of participants took
a semi-structured Adult Identity Status Interview. Integrated persons were most often Identity Achieved; Pseudointegrated
and Nonexploring persons were most often Foreclosed. Study Two evaluated a new sample of 70 persons (51 women and 19 men)
aged 70 and older. It generally confirmed the Integrity statuses developed in Study One, extending them to variables related
to complexity and maturity of sociomoral reasoning and thinking style. As expected, the Integrated status was negatively related,
and the Nonexploring status positively related, to intolerance for ambiguity. The highest levels of sociomoral reasoning occurred
most in the Integrated status group, as did dialectical reasoning. In contrast, the Nonexploring and Despairing statuses had
more formistic-mechanistic reasoners. Pseudointegrated persons produced the highest number of invalid protocols. The importance
of present findings and implications of these studies for future directions in integrity research are discussed.
In the first, 97 adults (68 women and 31 men) aged 65 and older responded to this measure: the Self-Examination Interview
(SEI). Responses on the SEI were treated both categorically and dimensionally (continuous scores) with respect to four integrity
statuses: Integrated, Nonexploring, Pseudointegrated, and Despairing. In Study One, categorical and dimensional Integrity
statuses were examined in relation to five convergent measures: the Integrity subscale of the Modified Eriksonian Psychosocial
Inventory, Openness to Experience, the Competence subscale of the California Personality Inventory, the Geriatric Depression
Scale, and Perceived Health. As hypothesized, Integrated respondents were socially competent and resilient; Nonexploring persons
conventional; Pseudointegrated respondents immature; and Despairing persons, demoralized. A subsample of participants took
a semi-structured Adult Identity Status Interview. Integrated persons were most often Identity Achieved; Pseudointegrated
and Nonexploring persons were most often Foreclosed. Study Two evaluated a new sample of 70 persons (51 women and 19 men)
aged 70 and older. It generally confirmed the Integrity statuses developed in Study One, extending them to variables related
to complexity and maturity of sociomoral reasoning and thinking style. As expected, the Integrated status was negatively related,
and the Nonexploring status positively related, to intolerance for ambiguity. The highest levels of sociomoral reasoning occurred
most in the Integrated status group, as did dialectical reasoning. In contrast, the Nonexploring and Despairing statuses had
more formistic-mechanistic reasoners. Pseudointegrated persons produced the highest number of invalid protocols. The importance
of present findings and implications of these studies for future directions in integrity research are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-20
- DOI 10.1007/s10804-011-9126-y
- Authors
- Simon Hearn, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Gary Saulnier, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Janet Strayer, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Margarete Glenham, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Ray Koopman, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- James E. Marcia, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Journal Journal of Adult Development
- Online ISSN 1573-3440
- Print ISSN 1068-0667