Construction and Validation of an Ego Integrity Status Interview

Erikson's theory regarding the existence of an Ego Integrity versus Despair crisis in old age was tested using an interview derived from Whitbourne and Weinstock's application of Marcia's status construct to the ego integrity crisis. Four integrity statuses were defined: integrity ach...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of aging & human development 1984-01, Vol.18 (1), p.61-72
Main Authors: Walaskay, Maxine, Whitbourne, Susan Krauss, Nehrke, Milton F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult. Elderly
Aged - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Death attitudes
Developmental psychology
Ego
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Interview, Psychological
Male
New York
Older people
Psychological Tests
Psychological Theory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychometrics
Sex differences
Well being
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Summary:Erikson's theory regarding the existence of an Ego Integrity versus Despair crisis in old age was tested using an interview derived from Whitbourne and Weinstock's application of Marcia's status construct to the ego integrity crisis. Four integrity statuses were defined: integrity achieving, dissonant (in crisis), foreclosed (avoiding crisis), and despairing. These statuses were reliably (80%) identified among forty elderly community-dwelling men and women through the forty-five-minute semistructured interview. Moreover, predicted differences among the four statuses were observed on questionnaire measures assessing reminiscing activity, death attitudes and preparation, psychological well-being, and questionnaire scales of Stages 6 through 8 of Erikson's theory. The pattern of differences suggested that integrity achieving and foreclosed samples differed mainly regarding their degree of introspection regarding the past, but that both appeared to have a high degree of psychological well-being. Dissonant individuals appeared to be unhappy and stressed, but this was seen as a temporary state in contrast to the more chronic nature of the despairing's low sense of psychological well-being. The validity of the integrity status construct and the interview designed to measure it have, therefore, been supported, and provide the basis for suggested refinements within Erikson's description of the Ego Integrity versus Despair stage.
ISSN:0091-4150
1541-3535
DOI:10.2190/RRAT-BL8J-J2U2-XRD3