Predicting Ego Integrity Using Prior Ego Development Stages for Older Adults in the Community.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study
PubMed 34574413 · doi:10.3390/ijerph18189490
What was done
A cross-sectional study of 292 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 90 years assessed Erikson's eight developmental stages using the Inventory of Psychosocial Balance. Pearson correlation and path analysis were conducted to evaluate direct and indirect effects of the first seven psychosocial stages on the eighth stage (ego integrity vs. despair).
What was found
All eight psychosocial stages were significantly correlated with each other. Stage 7 (generativity) had the strongest correlation with stage 8 ego integrity (r = 0.77) and exerted the greatest direct effect (path coefficient = 0.89) compared to earlier developmental stages.
Why it matters
The findings offer empirical support for Eriksonian lifespan theory, suggesting that successful resolution of midlife developmental tasks (generativity) is strongly linked to late-life ego integrity.
Limits
The cross-sectional design cannot verify longitudinal developmental trajectories across the lifespan. Data rely entirely on concurrent retrospective self-report, introducing potential recall and common-method bias. The abstract does not report exact p-values, confidence intervals, or demographic characteristics such as sex and socioeconomic status.
Cited by
- context Erik Erikson's work proposed that every decade of life features a conflict that must be resolved to progress to the next stage of life.