The relationship between ego development and sense of coherence

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is exploratory in nature and explores the potential relationship betweenLoevinger's concept of ego development and Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence(SOC) construct. The common ground shared by these theories lies in the search for anorientation to life or an attitude to life through which experiences may be made senseof and organised.The search for meaning in Loevinger's theory is facilitated by the development of theego which has a core organising function. Loevinger's theory of ego developmentposits ten stages through which individuals move across the lifespan. Very fewindividuals ever reach the final stages of ego development as stages are not inevitable.The rate at which progression through the stages takes place varies, as human beingsinterpret life experiences to a lesser or higher degree of coherence.The salutogenic approach to wellbeing that was developed and refined by Antonovsky,posits that health and disease are not absolutes, but are rather situated along acontinuum. Individuals are located at different points along this continuum and are ableto move to different positions thereon. SOC is comprised of three principalcomponents, namely 'comprehensibility', 'manageability' and 'meaningfulness'. Thedegree to which these components are present, represent the degree to which anindividual exhibits a global orientation to life that includes the view that life iscomprehensible, manageable and meaningful.The Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT) that measures thelevel of ego development, and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) thatmeasures SOC were completed by 45 individuals (n=45) aged 30 and older. Analysesof the data showed significant positive relationships between level of ego developmentand level of education, ego level and 'manageability', SOC and level of education, andSOC and socio-economic status.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University