Browsing by Author "Nortier, Suzanne"
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- ItemThe relationship between ego development and sense of coherence(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-12) Nortier, Suzanne; Van der Westhuysen, T. W. B.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is exploratory in nature and explores the potential relationship between Loevinger's concept of ego development and Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC) construct. The common ground shared by these theories lies in the search for an orientation to life or an attitude to life through which experiences may be made sense of and organised. The search for meaning in Loevinger's theory is facilitated by the development of the ego which has a core organising function. Loevinger's theory of ego development posits ten stages through which individuals move across the lifespan. Very few individuals ever reach the final stages of ego development as stages are not inevitable. The rate at which progression through the stages takes place varies, as human beings interpret life experiences to a lesser or higher degree of coherence. The salutogenic approach to wellbeing that was developed and refined by Antonovsky, posits that health and disease are not absolutes, but are rather situated along a continuum. Individuals are located at different points along this continuum and are able to move to different positions thereon. SOC is comprised of three principal components, namely 'comprehensibility', 'manageability' and 'meaningfulness'. The degree to which these components are present, represent the degree to which an individual exhibits a global orientation to life that includes the view that life is comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. The Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT) that measures the level of ego development, and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) that measures SOC were completed by 45 individuals (n=45) aged 30 and older. Analyses of the data showed significant positive relationships between level of ego development and level of education, ego level and 'manageability', SOC and level of education, and SOC and socio-economic status.