ABSTRACT
When making a Dutch scoring manual for the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT) we inadvertently addressed a fundamental question: To what extent is Loevinger’s developmental model and scoring manual applicable to children and adolescents? Scoring categories in the United States were derived mainly from older respondents (large majority was older than 18), whereas scoring categories for the Dutch manual were derived mainly from young respondents. Despite this methodological difference in manual construction, there are numerous similarities between Dutch and U.S. scoring categories, supporting the cross-age and cross-national validity of ego development theory. However, several consistent differences emerged between the two scoring manuals, mainly with respect to the Impulsive, Self-Protective, and Conformist levels. Impulsive protocols (N = 491) were characterized by vulnerability and a dependent coping style, by receptivity to concrete rules and guidance generally, and by empathic impulses and positive interactions. Self-Protective protocols (N = 650) were characterized by self-focused forms of control, by instrumental but appreciative relations, and by a self-sufficient attitude and a live-and-let-live philosophy of life. Conformist protocols (N = 798) were characterized by equality and reciprocity in relations, by the emphasis on (interpersonal) feelings, and by a helpful attitude and a communal philosophy of life. The current findings suggest a more balanced picture of the earliest developmental levels than originally proposed, at least when referring to the development of children and adolescents.
