Jeffrey A. Goldman

A Longitudinal Study of Ego Identity Development at a Liberal Arts College.

Ego identity development in the areas of occupational choice, religion, and political ideology was studied using Marcias categorization system. The results indicated a significant increase in the frequency of the identity achiever status for occupational choice and corresponding decreases in the frequency of the moratorium and identity diffusion statuses. A significant decrease in the frequency of foreclosures on religion was also found. In those instances where students underwent an identity crisis, the probability of resolving it successfully was very high. High scores on the Cultural Sophistication scale of the College Student Questionnaire-Part 1 were found to be associated with presence in the identity achievement status. For students not in the achiever status as freshmen, an interest in various literary and art forms was predictive of becoming an achiever while in college.

The relationship between self‐actualization and psychosocial maturity

Similarities were noted between Maslows notion of self-actualization (SA) and Eriksons notion of psychosocial maturity. Previous research by Simmons has shown a significant relationship between identity achievement status and the degree of SA as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). Results of the present study extend these findings to include ones total level of psychosocial maturity as measured by Constantinoples Inventory of Psychosocial Development (IPD). Highly significant positive correlations were obtained between ones overall score on the IPD and the two major dimensions of the POI. Implications of this relationship were discussed.

Psychosocial maturity and interpersonal attraction

Abstract Psychosocial maturity (PSM), assessed by scores on the Inventory of Psychosocial Development, was related to interpersonal behavior. In Experiment I PSM and proportion of attitude similarity was varied using Byrnes attraction paradigm in a between-subjects design. The personality variable failed to affect attraction. In Experiment II PSM and proportion of attitude similarity were manipulated in a within-subjects design. High PSM subjects rated the stranger significantly higher in attraction at high levels of similarity and significantly lower in attraction at low levels of similarity when compared to Low PSM individuals. The results were discussed in terms of design differences in personality research and potential mechanisms by which PSM affects attraction (self-esteem and/or competence).

Self-actualization as a moderator of the relationship between attitude similarity and attraction.

It was hypothesized that self-actualization (SA) assessed by scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory should affect the salience of interpersonal stimuli and moderate the attitude similarity/dissimilarity relationship. Fifty-six American college students (28 males and 28 females), aged 18-21, were used as subjects. In Experiment I SA and proportion of attitude similarity were varied by use of Byrnes attraction paradigm in a between-Ss design. The personality variable failed to affect attraction. In Experiment II SA and proportion of attitude similarity were manipulated in a within-Ss design. SA Ss rated the stranger significantly higher in attraction at high levels of similarity and significantly lower in attraction at low levels of similarity when compared to non-SA individual (p smaller than .05). The results were discussed in terms of design differences in personality research and the potential mechanism (self-esteem) by which SA affects attraction.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-ACTUALIZATION AND ASSERTIVENESS IN MALES AND FEMALES

The relationship between self-actualization (psychological health) and assertiveness was investigated in a sample of college students, 69 males and 151 females. Analysis indicated a moderately high positive relationship between self-actualization and self-reported assertiveness on the Rathus and Galassi scales. Differences for sex were generally statistically nonsignificant. The findings were related to previous research and exhortations toward a “behavioral humanism.”

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOSOCIAL MATURITY AND FEAR OF APPEARING INCOMPETENT

It was hypothesized that a negative relationship should exist between ones over-all level of psychosocial maturity as measured by Constantinoples (1969) Inventory of Psychosocial Development and ones Fear of Appearing Incompetent as measured by Good and Goods (1973b) scale. The hypothesis was supported for 44 male and 106 female undergraduates (p < .001). Similarities between the moderating effect of these two variables in the attraction paradigm were noted.

The relationship between psychosocial maturity and assertiveness in males and females

The relationship between psychosocial maturity (psychological health) and assertiveness was investigated in a sample of United States college males and females. Results revealed a moderately high positive relationship between psychosocial maturity (PSM) and self-reported assertiveness on the Rathus and Galassi scales for both sexes. This relationship was slightly stronger (in terms of variance accounted for) for males than females, significant differences being obtained for Intimacy on the Rathus scale and PSM and Intimacy on the Galassi scale. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the personality components most consistently accounting for major portions of the variance in predicting male assertiveness scores on both the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and the College Self-Expression Scale were Intimacy and Initiative, while in predicting female assertiveness, only Initiative was involved. The findings were related to previous research, recent work on the androgyny construct (instrumental vs. expressive behaviors), and exhortations for increased cooperation between schools of psychotherapy to establish it as a more unified discipline.

Effect of Test Sensitization and Knowledge about Self-Actualization on Taking the Personal Orientation Inventory

One hundred and thirty-two American college students were employed in a Solomon 4 group design to assess the susceptibility of scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) to knowledge about self-actualization (SA) and to possible test sensitization effects. Results indicated that POI scores were increased only by the main effect of knowledge about SA. These results were discussed in terms of previous research dealing with these two non-therapy factors.

Psychosocial maturity and the forming of impressions

Erikson’s concept of psychosocial maturity (PSM), assessed by scores on the Inventory of Psychosocial Development, was related to interpersonal behavior in a person perception experiment. This personality variable was found to moderate ratings of others in the standard impression-formation paradigm. Results indicated that high-PSM individuals were more extreme in their responses to social stimuli than were low-PSM individuals, but only for the middle-ranged stimuli. The results were discussed in terms of the potential mechanisms by which PSM affects the forming of impressions.

Sex-role identity as a moderator of the polarization effect in person perception

Abstract Male and female subjects with different sex-role identities (Androgynous, Masculine, Feminine, Undifferentiated) rated likability of male and female stimulus persons in the impression formation paradigm. Under certain conditions all the female subjects and feminine males manifested a polarization effect; that is, they made more polar ratings of opposite-sexed stimulus persons in contrast to same-sexed stimulus persons. On the other hand, under certain conditions Masculinetyped males rated male stimulus persons more negatively than female stimulus persons. Results were discussed in terms of moderating effects on the polarization phenomenon and possible explanatory mechanisms.