West Point Study Psychology

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Pages: 4

Through the West Point study we get to see the ages that stages 2-3-4 are developed in. Before this study professionals believed that people reached these stages faster then what the West Point study would come to show. In the West Point study, there were within a cadet’s first year only a small percentage that reach Kegan’s third stage. The sophomore year of these cadets there were only 25% of the class that was at or above the third stage. By looking at the observations of these two years alone the researchers determined that first and second year of college is a transition period from stage two to stage three. By senior year though these numbers doubled to 62.5% for being at or above Kegan’s third stage. They also learned that development …show more content…
The first stage we need to understand is the Imperial stage which is stage two in Kegan’s stages. In this stage a person is able to see another’s point of view, but uses that point of view to see how it can benefit themselves. Their self-esteem is derived from their performance or how they behave a certain way. Also during the Imperial stage people are able to see their impulses and perceptions as object. They then begin to respond to their impulses throughout this period. The second stage that we need to understand is the Interpersonal stage which is the fourth stage for Kegan. In the Interpersonal stage they move their self-esteem from the perspective of others to an internal sense of self-esteem. Also during this stage there are characteristics and limitations that define the person. Some of the characteristics include: able to see needs as object, are good and productive citizens, take others into account, have internalized views of society, and are able to empathize. There are also limitations that the person experiences during this stage. These are: they are defined by their relationships, need approval, have a limited capacity for intimacy, subjectivist knowing, and unthinking adoption of values and ideals. These things can block a person in stage three from progressing to stage …show more content…
During this period there is a mix of some of the components from each stage. The adolescent during this time is stuck between stage two and three. To help them move to where they are completely in the interpersonal stage the parent can use the concepts of matching and mismatching. First, matching is when you give instructions or give consequences for not following instructions. These guidelines put you on the same stage that child is at. By this, you are able to have control and help guide them in the stage they are in. In mismatching you challenge the teenager to do or go beyond the stage that they are in. By doing this, it causes them to reflect and grow, moving them on to where they can completely be in the interpersonal stage. Ways that you can challenge them is by making them reflect on how actions can affect others, what your decisions will mean in the future, and how certain actions can have consequences. By challenging the child it disrupts their stage two thinking to make them think a stage higher than what they