Ego development and behavior problems : a study of Mexican American adolescents

Date

1988

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Abstract

An early education program for low income Mexican American children (PCDC) was evaluated at follow-up for its impact on ego development. The relationship between ego development and behavior problems also was examined. In addition, normative data was described for these Mexican American adolescents on Loevinger's measure of ego development and on behavior problems, as reported by mothers on the CBCL. Multiple regression analyses revealed that program children were not at higher levels of ego development than control children. However, girls were found to be at higher levels of ego development than boys, and ego development was found to significantly increase with age. In addition, correlational analyses showed that children at higher ego development levels were not found to have fewer behavior problems than children at lower ego development levels. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis also showed that ego development did not predict a significant amount of variance in behavior problems, over and above background characteristics. Thus, previous positive results of Noam et al. (1984) for ego development and behavior problems were not replicated. Correlational analyses revealed no relationship between ego development and the CBCL broad band factors. Internalizing and Externalizing.

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Keywords

Mexican American teenagers, Psychology, Ego (Psychology)

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