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Cited by 53Ego Development and Educational PracticesPersonality Traits and PsychologyIdentity, Memory, and Therapy

Does Ego Development Increase During Midlife? The Effects of Openness and Accommodative Processing of Difficult Events

Lilgendahl, Jennifer Pals, Helson, Ravenna, John, Oliver P.·2013·Journal of Personality
DOI 10.1111/jopy.12009
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Abstract

Objective Although Loevinger's model of ego development is a theory of personality growth, there are few studies that have examined age-related change in ego level over developmentally significant periods of adulthood. To address this gap in the literature, we examined mean-level change and individual differences in change in ego level over 18 years of midlife. Method In this longitudinal study, participants were 79 predominantly White, college-educated women who completed the Washington University Sentence Completion Test in early (age 43) and late (age 61) midlife as well as measures of the trait of Openness (ages 21, 43, 52, and 61) and accommodative processing (assessed from narratives of difficult life events at age 52). Results As hypothesized, the sample overall showed a mean-level increase in ego level from age 43 to age 61. Additionally, a regression analysis showed that both the trait of Openness at age 21 and accommodative processing of difficult events that occurred during (as opposed to prior to) midlife were each predictive of increasing ego level from age 43 to age 61. Conclusions These findings counter prior claims that ego level remains stable during adulthood and contribute to our understanding of the underlying processes involved in personality growth in midlife.

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  • Adults who process negative life events in especially deep and probing ways tend to show increases in personality maturity in subsequent years.

    “Research has shown, for example, that adults who process negative life events in especially deep and probing ways tend to show increases in personality maturity in subsequent years (Lilgendahl et al., 2013).”

    From Self and identity in personality psychology (2021) · cites this paper as Lilgendahl et al., 2013

  • Narrating life's biggest challenges in ways that incorporate new and more sophisticated understandings of self, others, and the world into one's life story contributes to personality change in the form of ego development.

    “narrating life's biggest challenges in ways that incorporate new and more sophisticated understandings of self, others, and the world into one's life story contributes to personality change in the form of ego development (Lilgendahl et al., 2013).”

    From Self and identity in personality psychology (2021) · cites this paper as Lilgendahl et al., 2013

  • Increases in ego development over time are associated with accommodative processing of difficult life events.

    “Increases in ego development over time, which reflects one's level of cognitive and emotional complexity and awareness of oneself in relation to the world, have been associated with accommodative processing of difficult live events.”

    From Self and identity in personality psychology (2021) · cites this paper as Lilgendahl et al., 2013

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Authors
Lilgendahl, J. P., Helson, R., & John, O. P.
Affiliations
  • Haverford College (US)
  • University of California, Berkeley (US)
Corresponding author
Lilgendahl, Jennifer Pals
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Personality
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2013-02-05
Volume
81
Issue
4
Pages
403-416
ISSN
  • 0022-3506 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-6494
DOI
10.1111/jopy.12009
OpenAlex
W1873398893
Cited by
53
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 1
FWCI
2.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Personality (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institution of Mental Health Grant (MH-43948)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Ego Development and Educational Practices
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
Keywords
ego development, midlife, personality development, openness to experience, life events, age-related changes, individual differences, women
MeSH terms
Adult, Ego, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Development

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