While personality is relatively stable over time, it is also subject to change across the entire lifespan. On a macro-analytical level, empirical research has identified patterns of normative and differential development that are affected by biological and environmental factors, specific life events, and social role investments. On a…

Who am I? What am I about? What is my place in my social group? What is important to me? What do I value? What do I want to do with my life? These are all questions related to what psychologists call identity. Many theorists have argued that we are driven to answer these questions, particularly during adolescence. In this article, I summarize an…

At first consideration, the worlds of the classroom, the psychotherapy office and the experimental psychology laboratory may seem disparate settings with no obvious connection among them. In this article, the author would like to draw such a connection and to suggest the relevance of psychosocial developmental theory and research to self-regulated…

The process of making meaning is a core determinant of human experience. Understanding this process, developmentally, is a vital part of integral counseling. In this article, the authors introduce the concept of ego development stages as increasingly complex and flexible systems of meaning making. An understanding of ego development stages can…

How do the goals we once cherished but can no longer pursue relate to maturity? The authors asked adults who have experienced challenging life transitions to describe the life goals they once sought but no longer do and those goals that motivate their lives now. The authors conducted research which examines how adults' views of their lost and…

The author describes gifted children who hide their giftedness to seek social acceptance and thereby achieve invulnerability, then presents the "Gifted and Talented Personality Pyramid" model, which consists of four facets: environment, behavior, relationships, and selfhood. (MC)

Two models of heterosexual identity development are discussed. The models were developed for different reasons and thus represent different ways of conceptualizing heterosexual identity development. The strengths and weaknesses of each model are presented and the two models are compared and contrasted. Apart from the models themselves, these two…

The authors offer a new, integrative conceptualization of the relational self based on a synthesis of recent approaches to the self and significant others. This conceptualization provides a sharper and fuller definition of the relational self than does any existing approach alone and a common framework to interpret findings from separate…

Qualities of human character developed through outdoor education programs include self-image, self-esteem, and personal enhancement. The primary goal of adventure education programs is to develop communication and human relations skills through the experiences of stress, group living, a new environment, and independence. (JN)

Treatment of a sexually abused woman who lacked a sense of autonomy and self-worth is described in the context of entitlement, the transient sense of being an exception to ordinary rules of morality and ethics. Entitlement in this case was considered a developmental stage of autonomy and independence of the body. (Author/JDD)

In 2 studies (125 college students and 51 adults), 2 forms of growth goals (exploratory and intrinsic) were compared with 2 forms of personality development (social-cognitive maturity and social-emotional well-being). Participants whose narratives of major life goals emphasized conceptual exploration were especially likely to have high levels of…

Several propositions concerning methodology of personality research in educational settings are presented in the context of medical school students. Academic performance, attrition, student satisfaction, and personality and value changes are discussed in their direct relation to institutional goals and objectives. Personality factors are of…

Describes an action plan that is helpful for all students, including gifted students, to promote development of their individual Selves--their inner voices. Guiding precepts for a curriculum that leads to the educational good life for students are provided, and Deliberative Artistry, a process that promotes self-examination, is described.…

Physical education is an appropriate place in the total educational scope for the development and origin of positive self concepts. Adapted physical education is defined as a diversified program of developmental activities, games, and sports suited to the interests, capabilities, and limitations of disabled students. (JN)

References are often made in art education literature about how art can enhance individuals' self-concepts. This document discusses the work of authors, Manuel Barkan, George Herbert Mead, and Sigmund Freud, who support this concept. Barkan's theory concerning how an individual's personality develops and changes by interacting socially is…