Barron's Ego Strength Research Articles

Does personality mediate the relation between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality?

Alcohol volume and pattern have been previously demonstrated to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) in these data. The objective of this study is to assess whether personality is a mediator in this relationship. Interview data from 1154 men and women aged 18–64 in Winnipeg, Canada were linked to health care utilization and mortality records, with 8 years of follow-up. Cox regressions were performed for men and women on time to first event for physician visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, or other CVD. Models linking drinking to CHD outcomes were unaffected by personality covariates. Models of hypertension and other CVD outcomes were significantly affected by inclusion of personality covariates, but the only significant individual personality covariate was in the effect on other CVD in men: Ego strength had a protective effect [hazard ratio (HR)=0.95]. Personality covariates as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and Barron's Ego Strength Scale make only a modest contribution to statistical models of the relation between drinking and cardiovascular health.

Ego strength and stress reaction in Kuwaiti students after the Iraqi invasion.

Correlations between scores on the Barron Ego Strength Scale and a checklist of 18 Symptoms of stress reactions were calculated for two responses from 503 undergraduate Kuwaiti students (225 men and 278 women). Using total scores on both measures for all students the correlation was -.42, so students with higher ego strength scores tend to have fewer stressful symptoms. rs by symptoms ranged from -.33 to -.11.

Barron's Ego Strength Scale and Welsh's Anxiety and Repression Scales: A Comparison of the MMPI and MMPI-2

In this study, we examined the comparability of the Ego Strength (Es), Anxiety (A), and Repression (R) scales, and Welsh's (1965) classification of scores on theA and R scales into nine categories, on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and MMPI-2. Undergraduate students (65 women, 65 men) completed the MMPI and MMPI-2, in counterbalanced order, 1 week apart. There was high agreement between the MMPI and MMPI-2 for the A scale, moderately high agreement for the Es scale, and a moderate level of agreement for the R scale, but little consistency in Welsh's categorization of A and R scores.

An External Construct Validity Study of Rorschach Personality Variables

This study examined (a) hypothesized relationships between Rorschach variables and self-report test measures relating to nominally similar aspects of personality functioning and (b) interrelationships among Rorschach variables. Sixty-two undergraduates were administered the Rorschach, Barron Ego Strength Scale, Kaplan Self-Derogation Scale, Eagly Self-Esteem Scale, Multiple Affective Adjective Checklist (MAACL), Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and the Rotter Locus of Control Scale. Only a few of the predictions received confirmation: inanimate movement (m) correlated, as expected, with MAACL anxiety and hostility, the egocentricity index (3r + 2)/R (R = total responses) correlated significantly with self-esteem, and human movement with minus form level (M-) correlated (inversely) with ego strength. Among the unpredicted findings were some that appear inconsistent with standard Rorschach interpretation. Rorschach variables human movement (M), and experience actual (EA), generally interpreted as reflecting coping resources, related significantly with self-report measures of poor coping and of dysphoric affect. In general, the Rorschach appears better at identifying weaknesses in the ego rather than strengths.

The Last and Weiss Rorschach Sum E in a Normal Sample

For 62 undergraduate women correlations of Rorschach Sum E with scores on 16 PF, Barron's MMPI Ego Strength Scale, the Eagly Self-esteem Scale, Kaplan's Self-derogation Scale, and MAACL. Anxiety, depression, and hostility showed FC+ was the only Sum E component associated with adaptive functioning and so Sum E is of limited usefulness.

Relations among nightmare frequency and ego strength, death anxiety, and sex of college students.

The present study was designed to investigate empirically the relationship between self-reports of nightmare frequency and ego strength and death anxiety in both men and women. In addition, the interrelations among these variables were assessed. 20 undergraduates with high frequencies of nightmares and 20 with low frequencies (10 men and 10 women per group) were administered the Barron Ego Strength Scale and a death anxiety scale. Significant differences were found between nightmare groups on the Barron scale for men and women but none on the death anxiety scale either by nightmare frequency or sex. A significant negative correlation of -.47 between death anxiety and ego strength was found for women and in one high frequency group. Women with high frequencies of nightmares showed the highest correlation, -.83. These data suggest that nightmare frequency may be a mediating factor in the relationship between ego strength, death anxiety, and sex of subject.

Relations among Nightmare Frequency and Ego Strength, Death Anxiety, and Sex of College Students

The present study was designed to investigate empirically the relationship between self-reports of nightmare frequency and ego strength and death anxiety in both men and women. In addition, the interrelations among these variables were assessed. 20 undergraduates with high frequencies of nightmares and 20 with low frequencies (10 men and 10 women per group) were administered the Barron Ego Strength Scale and a death anxiety scale. Significant differences were found between nightmare groups on the Barron scale for men and women but none on the death anxiety scale either by nightmare frequency or sex. A significant negative correlation of -.47 between death anxiety and ego strength was found for women and in one high frequency group. Women with high frequencies of nightmares showed the highest correlation, -.83. These data suggest that nightmare frequency may be a mediating factor in the relationship between ego strength, death anxiety, and sex of subject.

Relation between coping style and Barron's Ego Strength Scale.

66 college men and 61 women were asked how they coped with feelings of tension and depression and completed Barron's Ego Strength Scale. Ego strength was negatively correlated with coping by reliance on professionals. Men higher in ego strength were more likely to cope by analyzing the problem and taking direct action. Women were more likely to use escape (watching TV, making a trip). As expected, personal resources for coping were more limited for those lower in ego strength.

Resiliency reconsidered: contemporary MMPI normative data for Barron's Ego Strength Scale.

Although it is more than 30 years old, Es remains one of the most frequently scored of the MMPI supplemental scales. However, there have been significant changes in MMPI response patterns among adults since the Es scale was first developed. New normative tables for the Es scale based on a contemporary census-matched sample of normal adults are presented along with figures that illustrate changes associated with age and sex.

Anger, hostility, and the Barron ego strength scale.

69 men in introductory psychology took Barron's ego strength scale, Spielberger's trait anger scale, and the Buss-Durkee hostility inventory. Low ego strength was associated with getting angry easily ( r = -.32), responding to others in a hostile manner (Buss-Durkee motor factor r = -.30), and harboring hostile attitudes (Buss-Durkee attitude factor r = -.55). These data support the idea that the scale measures a broad capacity for personality integration, including the control of anger and hostility.

Ego deficits in anorexia nervosa patients and incest victims: an MMPI comparative analysis.

Ego deficit is a frequent theme in the clinical literature for both patients of anorexia nervosa and victims of incest, but no previous study has analyzed, compared or contrasted the dynamics of the two groups psychometrically. The present investigation utilized the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to study the mean profiles of 30 hospitalized anorexic women, 30 female victims of father-daughter incest, and 30 female subjects in a matched contemporary control group. Remarkable similarities were noted between the anorexic and incest groups (and differences from the control group) in characterological elevations on five clinical scales and lower scores on Barron's ego strength ( Es) scale. The results are discussed in terms of ego deficits shared by the two groups in spite of their distinctly different developmental and behavioral histories.

Ego strength and achievement motivation in pathological gamblers

This paper argues that there area priori reasons to extract measures of ego strength and achievement motivation from the psychometric data base routinely collected from inpatient pathological gambers in order to clarify the meaning of these constructs and to evaluate their roles in personality organization. A sample of 57 subjects engaged in an inpatient treatment program for pathological gamblers was studied using Barron's Ego Strength Scale (ES) from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and two measures of achievement motivation from the California Personality Inventory, Achievement via Conformance (Ac) and Achievement via Independence (Ai). Compared to the standardization group norms on these instruments, pathological gamblers are significantly deficient in both ego strength and one type of achievement motivation, Ac. Clinical impressions of gamblers in treatment suggest that narcissistic characteristics are a major problem in treatment and that future research should attempt further detailed studies of ego structure in order to refine treatment objectives.

Congruence, locus of control, and readings of English college students ? An application of John Holland's theory of vocational choice

One hundred and five English undergraduate college students at two colleges in the United Kingdom completed the Holland VPI, the Barron Ego Strength Scale, the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal Control Scale, and the Occupational Values Q Sort. Congruent students were identified by matching their reading (major) with their scores on the six Holland type indicators. A Multi-variate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that congruent subjects exhibited a higher level of internality, greater ego strength, and less affiliation than incongruent subjects. Results are discussed with respect to Holland's theory. The practicability of applying American measurement techniques to an undergraduate English college population is also explored.

Intercorrelations among white space responses on Rorschach, ego strength, conformity, and self-esteem.

The present study was undertaken to determine the magnitude of relationship between the white space responses (S) on the Rorschach and ego strength, as determined by Barron's Ego Strength Scale. Correlations between the white space response (S) and conformity, as measured by the conformity scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory, and S and self-esteem, as measured by the self-esteem scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory, were also investigated. For 44 female and 12 male undergraduates the correlation between white space responses and ego strength was non-significant, as were correlations between white space responses and ego strength, conformity, and self-esteem. Intercorrelations among ego strength, conformity, and self-esteem were significant. Also, white space responses (S) and the total number of responses (R) were significantly correlated.

Sex differences in adjustment correlates of locus of control dimensions.

This study investigated the hypothesis that dimensions of locus of control are differentially predictive of adjustment criteria for males and females. Two samples of undergraduates completed the Reid-Ware Three-Factor Locus of Control Scale and either the Texas Social Behavior Inventory or the Zander and Thomas version of the Barron ego strength scale. For both males and females, internals reported greater self-esteem and ego strength. However, for males, the fatalism dimension was the strongest predictor for each adjustment correlate. The social system control dimension was not predictive for males in either case. For females, the social system control dimension was predictive for each adjustment correlate, although it was not consistently the strongest predictor. The results are consistent with research on sex differences in parental antecedents of locus of control. Methodological implications of the differential predictiveness of locus of control dimensions are also addressed.

The interrelationships of ego strength, self-esteem, death anxiety, and gender in undergraduate college students.

The interrelationships of ego strength (Barron Ego Strength Scale), death anxiety (Death Anxiety Scale), and self-esteem (Texas Social Behavior Inventory) were studied in undergraduate university males (n = 20) and females (n = 59). Significant negative relationships between death anxiety and self-esteem and ego strength, and a significant positive relationship between self-esteem and ego strength were shown by both males and females. Moreover, males showed significantly higher self-esteem and ego strength scores, and significantly lower death anxiety scores than did females.

Correlation of the Scores on Barron's Ego Strength Scale with the Scores on the Conformity Scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory

The purpose of the present study was to determine the degree of relationship between the scores on Barron's Ego Strength Scale and those on the Conformity scale of the Jackson Personality Inventory. The total N of 45 consisted of 33 females and 12 males. The mean age for the entire sample was 23.13. The obtained coefficient of -.63 was significant beyond the .01 level.

The Barron Ego Strength Scale: a study of personality correlates among normals.

Although the Barron Ego Strength Scale (BESS) often has been shown to differentiate between the presence or absence of psychopathology, the exact construct measured as Ego Strength is little understood. This study related the BESS to the 15 personality needs of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, the Tolerance Scale of the California Psychological Inventory, and the Practical Outlook Scale of the Omnibus Personality Inventory. Ss were 80 normal adult women, recruited individually from the community. Results showed significant correlations (p less than .05) only between Ego Strength and Abasement (-.44), Dominance (.19), Tolerance (.69), and Practical Outlook (-.32). This suggests that rather than distinguishing among specific personality profiles, the BESS relates to an underlying belief in self-adequacy, along with tolerant, balanced attidudes.

A Correlation of Barron's Ego Strength Scale and Smith's Non-Conformity Scale

The sample used in the present study consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in Adolescent and Child Psychology classes at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee. The total number of 76 students included 23 males and 53 females. The ages ranged from 18 to 29 with a mean of 23. Conformity and Ego Strength Scales were found to be significantly, but inversely, related. A statistically significant correlation between sex and a measure of conformity suggested that females are more conforming than are males. Inasmuch as the concepts of Conformity and Ego Strength consist of antagonistic characteristics, it is believed that the results of the present study provide some evidence for the validity of the Ego Strength Scale of Barron.

Peer and Professional Counselors

This research was an inquiry into prisoners' preference for and evaluation of either a peer counselor inmate trained in counseling or a professional counselor. Through the use of videotaped, simulated counseling vignettes, reactions of 98 male inmates of a federal penal institution were examined. Of particular interest was whether or not an inmate's level of adjustment, as measured by Barron's Ego Strength Scale, was related to preference for either a peer or professional counselor. The Ego Strength Scale failed to serve as a useful predictor of inmates' preference for type of counselor. A significant number of subjects preferred the professional counselor over the peer counselor; however, this preference did not lead to more favorable evaluations by subjects who preferred either the peer or professional counselor. Implications for the use of peer and professional counselors in penal institutions are discussed.