haps of severely disturbed adults, but the other stages are found at all
ages. Although each person is supposed to go through the same se -
quence of stages, many do not outgrow the early ones. In theory , the
process is irreversible: Once mature, one can never again think and actin a truly immature way .
The stages Loevinger proposes are perhaps most easily character -
ized in terms of socialization. Individuals in the early stages are
preconventional ; they want their own way and have few scruples about
how they get it. The rules of society are for them merely obstacles totheir desires, and although they may follow rules when they know theywould be caught otherwise, they have no real allegiance to them. Indi -
viduals at the conventional stage—where most adults function—have a
very different attitude. They believe wholeheartedly in the need for andwisdom of rules, as determined by religion, law , or local standards oftaste and etiquette. Conforming persons do what they are told without
much question; they follows rituals and forms without necessarily un-derstanding them, and they are motivated by the desire to maintain thegood opinion of their fellows. Conscientious men and women, in the
next higher stage, are also loyal to their country and faith but are morethoughtful in their interpretation. They are guided by principles, notcustoms, and are beholden mostly to their own consciences. At thesame time, the principles they follow are dictated by society , and theydo not venture to question them. (Note that this usage of “conscien-tious” is different from ours, but it seems likely that people scoring highon the Conscientiousness factor would also be classified at or above theConscientious level of ego development. In fact, Einstein & Lanning,1998, reported an association between ego level and Conscientiousnessin college men.)
At the two highest stages of ego development are individuals who
can be considered postconventional .They have internalized the princi -
ples of their social environment, but they have also transcended them.
They , too, are guided by principles, but by principles of their own devis -
ing; and they are not unwilling to defy social customs that conflict with
what they believe is a higher law. Great social reformers and founders ofreligions are usually at this level, but so are many ordinary individualswho do not make a career out of their ethical opinions.
This description of Loevinger’s stages is, of course, a great oversim -
plification, in part because it fails to show the importance of emotional142 PERSONALITY IN ADULTHOOD