IQ and ego-resiliency: Conceptual and empirical connections and separateness.

Abstract

The constructs of intelligence and ego-resiliency are discussed. The personality implications of "pure intelligence" and "pure ego-resilience" were identified. Intelligence (IQ) was indexed by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and ego-resiliency by an inventory scale. Residual scores measuring "pure intelligence" and "pure ego-resilience" were correlated with the items of the observerbased California Q-sort, used to describe participants. Persons relatively high on ego-resilience tend to be more competent and comfortable in the "fuzzier" interpersonal world; persons defined primarily by raw IQ tend to be effective in the "clearer" world of structured work but tend also to be uneasy with affect and less able to realize satisfying human connections. Gender differences exist in the relations of ego-resilience and intelligence and in their adaptive relevance. We all know highly intelligent individuals who do not function well in the world in which they must live and who are psychologically maladjusted. And we all have encountered individuals not unusually endowed intellectually who nevertheless have achieved ways of living that are personally satisfying, socially constructive, and adaptationally creative. Such examples suggest that the long-standing emphasis of psychologists on the all-importance of intelligence for life adaptation is wanting; our psychological understandings require conceptual deepening. This article is an effort in that direction.

The over-claiming technique: Measuring self-enhancement independent of ability.

“…Sample items are "I enjoy dealing with new and unusual situations" and "I get over anger reasonably easily." The construct validity of the instrument was supported in a review by Block and Kremen (1996). The alpha reliability was .80 in our sample.…”

“…The alpha reliability was .92 in this sample. The revised Ego-Resiliency Scale (Block, 1989) was designed to measure resourceful adaptation to everyday stressors. Sample items are "I enjoy dealing with new and unusual situations" and "I get over anger reasonably easily."…”

Resilience and mental health

“…an ego-resiliency scale by Block & Kremen, 1996), while other scales have been recommended as more suitable for clinical research (Connor & Davidson, 2003). For example, in a healthy sample, recent findings supported the convergent and discriminative validity of the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), it being argued that individuals scoring high on this scale are psychologically healthier, better adjusted, and thus more resilient (Friborg, Barlaug, Martinussen, Rosenvinge, & Hjemdal, 2005).…”

“…Some authors have incorporated in their scale constructions from both approaches (e.g. the Ego-Resiliency Scale by Block and Kremen 1996).…”

An ecological systems model of trait resilience: Cross-cultural and clinical relevance

“…To assess this model, Maltby et al (2015) performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses among UK student and adult samples of the items contained within the five most cited trait resilience scales (the Ego Resiliency Scale [Block & Kremen, 1996], the Hardiness Scale [ (Bartone, Ursano, Wright, & Ingraham, 1989)], the Psychological Resilience Scale [Wagnild & Young, 1993], the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale [Connor & Davidson, 2003] and the Brief Resilience Scale [Smith et al, 2008)]). These scales encompass a series of theoretical propositions regarding resilience, such as the capacity to demonstrate controlled responses to environmental demands (Block & Kremen, 1996), a personality style encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioural traits (Bartone et al, 1989), as a 'resilience core' reflecting overall physical and mental health resilience (Wagnild & Young, 1993), clinical treatment contexts (Connor & Davidson, 2003), and an ability to recover from adverse situations (Smith et al, 2008).…”