Familial Contexts of Adolescent Ego Development

Abstract

In this paper we describe our newly constructed Constraining and Enabling Coding System (CECS). This scheme was constructed to identify family interactions that are conceptually relevant to adolescent ego development. First, we discuss the theoretical rationale and reliability properties of the codes. We then present results of applying the scales to observations of 61 families, consisting of 2 parents and an adolescent, drawn from matched high school and psychiatric populations. All families are upper and (predominantly) upper-middle class. Each member completed the Loevinger Sentence Completion Test and then participated in a revealed-differences task, using responses to Kohlberg Moral Dilemmas as discussion stimuli. Transcripts of these audiorecorded discussions formed the data base for the family analyses. After controlling for patient status and adolescent age, adolescent and parent ego-development scores still contributed to explained variance in family interactions. Adolescent ego development was positively associated with adolescent enabling behaviors (e.g., problem solving, empathy). In contrast, there were negative correlations between constraining behaviors (e.g., devaluing, withholding) and adolescent ego development. Parental behaviors were significantly associated with (a) parent ego development, and (b) adolescent ego development. The third dimension of our system, discourse change, also showed theoretically expected strong correlations between progressive discourse change and ego development. In our discussion we comment on the importance of now proceeding to sequence analyses in order to explore questions of directionality.

Vulnerability and Resilience: A Study of High-Risk Adolescents

“…These results are consistent with several earlier empirical findings establishing that ego development is a significant concomitant of various aspects of adjustment and mental health (Browning & Quinlan, 1985;Frank & Quinlan, 1976;Hauser et al, 1984;Noam et al, 1984).…”

Autonomy and Adolescent Social Functioning: The Moderating Effect of Risk

“…In contrast, high-risk adolescents who exhibited higher levels of autonomy with their mothers were not viewed as more socially competent and in fact reported engaging in increased levels of delinquent activity outside of the home. Thus, whereas a style of displaying autonomy involving questioning of parental authority in a verbal interaction is related to positive social adjustment in middle-class samples Allen, Hauser, Eickholt, et al, 1994;Grotevant & Cooper, 1985;Hauser et al, 1984), this same negotiation style appears to be linked to negative outcomes for poor teens living in high-risk areas.…”

“…In White middle-class samples, generally characterized as living in low-risk environments, observational research focusing on cognitive autonomy development has shown that a range of outcomes including higher levels of adolescent ego development and self-esteem and lower levels of hostility and depression are linked to family communications that promote or display autonomy (e.g., explaining and discussing reasons for disagreements) and inversely related to statements that undermine autonomy (e.g., overpersonalizing or pressuring statements; Grotevant & Cooper, 1985;Hauser et al, 1984). In addition, selfreport research on behavioral autonomy has demonstrated that authoritative parenting, which involves balancing granting sufficient autonomy with appropriate amounts of firm control and acceptance, is positively related to outcomes such as success in school and positive self-concept (Baumrind, 1991;Dornbusch, Ritter, Leiderman, Roberts, & Fraleigh, 1987;Paulson, 1994;Steinberg, Elmen, & Mounts, 1989;.…”

Attachment and Autonomy During Adolescence

“…The use of parents as secure base during adolescence may involve freedom to explore different ideas/points of view while still staying connected. The Constraining and Enabling Coding System (CECS) (Hauser et al, 1984 ) builds upon Stierlin ' s ( 1974 ) theories about familial responses to adolescents ' attempts at separation, and assesses the ways that parent -adolescent interactions may shape adolescent ego development. Family speeches during a discussion are categorized in terms of the extent to which they constrain (or interfere with) versus enable (or support) adolescents ' autonomy during family discussions.…”

“…Consistent with these premises, research on autonomy processes within parent -teen relationships has yielded relatively consistent predictions from autonomy support to various indicators of intrapsychic competence and health. For example, observational research on (Grotevant & Cooper, 1985 ;Hauser et al, 1984 ). Similarly, Allen and colleagues found that parental promotion of cognitive/verbal autonomy (defined as stating reasons for holding a differing position while also remaining open to others ' views) is linked with higher levels of self -esteem and ego development (Allen et al, 1994b ).…”