Ego-Strength Scale

Abstract

The Ego-Strength Scale (Es) is a psychological measure originally developed by Frank Barron in 1953. It was constructed primarily to predict an individual’s potential responsiveness to psychotherapy and their general capacity for effective psychological adaptation. The scale consists of 66 True/False items selected from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). High scores on the Es scale indicate strong ego function, characterized by good physical health, adequate coping mechanisms, realistic perceptions, and emotional stability. Conversely, low scores suggest vulnerability, neurotic tendencies, and poor prognosis for short-term therapeutic intervention.

Keywords

Ego-Strength, Es Scale, Frank Barron, psychological resilience, MMPI, adaptation, coping, neuroticism, psychotherapy success

Authors

Frank Barron

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Ego-Strength Scale, as developed by Barron (1953), was to differentiate individuals likely to benefit from brief psychotherapy from those less likely to improve without extensive intervention. It serves as a measure of the general psychological resources available to an individual, reflecting their capacity for self-regulation, resilience, and integration of conflicting emotions or demands. Beyond clinical prediction, the scale is widely used in personality research to assess general psychological health and stability across various populations.

Construct

The construct measured is Ego-Strength (Es), a psychoanalytic and personality concept referring to the ego’s capacity to mediate between internal drives (id), external reality, and moral constraints (superego). A strong ego is associated with effective coping, reality testing, impulse control, and the ability to tolerate anxiety and frustration. Barron’s scale operationalizes this construct through eight distinct content domains: physical functioning and physiological stability, psychasthenia and seclusiveness, attitudes toward religion, moral posture, sense of reality, personal adequacy/ability to cope, phobias/infantile anxieties, and miscellaneous items. These domains collectively capture the multifaceted nature of psychological integration and resourcefulness.

Validity

The Ego-Strength Scale exhibits significant predictive validity, particularly in the clinical context for which it was designed. Barron’s original research demonstrated that scores on the Es scale significantly correlated with favorable outcomes following short-term therapy. Subsequent research has confirmed its construct validity, showing strong inverse correlations with measures of anxiety, neuroticism, and depression. Furthermore, the scale demonstrates criterion validity by correlating positively with measures of creativity, social competence, and overall life satisfaction, reinforcing its role as a robust indicator of general psychological health and adaptive capacity.

Reliability

While the Es scale is known for its breadth of content, its reliability metrics are generally acceptable for a personality inventory of its type. Studies examining the internal consistency (using measures like Cronbach’s alpha) have yielded moderate to high coefficients, though these often vary due to the heterogeneous nature of the items drawn from across the MMPI. Test-retest reliability studies have shown stability over short periods, suggesting that the underlying construct of Ego-Strength is a relatively stable personality trait rather than a transient state. Researchers often emphasize that the scale’s predictive power often compensates for any minor compromises in internal consistency resulting from its broad domain coverage.

Factor Analysis

Initial analysis by Barron treated Ego-Strength as a unitary construct. However, subsequent factor analytic studies, such as those conducted by Stein and Chu (1967), revealed that the scale is highly multidimensional. These analyses typically identify several major factors, suggesting that Es is not a single, monolithic trait but rather a composite of several related personality dimensions. Common factors extracted include: personal stability and adequacy, freedom from physical symptoms, lack of neurotic preoccupation, and social conventionality. This multidimensionality explains why the scale touches upon such diverse areas as physical health, moral attitudes, and reality perception, as these are all components contributing to overall psychological resilience.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report personality inventory

Format: Dichotomous (True/False)

Language Available: Primarily English (as derived from the MMPI)

Population Group: Adults

Age Group: 18+

Population Details: Originally standardized on clinical and non-clinical populations; often used in psychiatric settings, counseling, and general personality research.

Test Methodology: Respondents answer 66 statements by indicating whether the statement is True or False. Scoring involves summing the number of keyed responses (T or F) that align with the high Ego-Strength direction.

Keywords

Personality assessment, psychological testing, Barron, self-report, Ego-Strength, True/False, clinical prediction, psychological adjustment

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not readily available for Frank Barron (1913–2002)

Affiliation Email addresses: Not applicable

Correspondence Address: Not applicable

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Ego-Strength Scale was first published in 1953. Since the items are derived from the MMPI, its use is governed by standard academic research practices. For research purposes, the scale is often considered readily accessible, especially when used within academic or non-commercial contexts. The original PDF containing the instrument can be downloaded here: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF

Reference’s

• Barron‚ F. (1953). An ego-strength scale which predicts response to psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting Psychology‚ 17(5)‚ 327-333.
• Stein‚ K. B.‚ & Chu‚ C.L. (1967). Dimensionality of Barron’s Ego-Strength Scale. Journal of Consulting Psychology‚ 31(2)‚ 153-161.
• Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan.
• Harmon‚ M.H. (1980). The Barron Ego Strength Scale: a study of personality correlates among normals. J Clin Psychol. 36(2):433-436.

Items of the Ego-Strength Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

A. Physical functioning and physiological stability.

1. During the past few years I have been well most of the time. (T)
2. I am in just as good physical health as most of my friends. (T)
3. I have never had a fainting spell. (T)
4. I feel weak all over much of the time. (F)
5. My hands have not become clumsy or awkward. (T)
6. I have a cough most of the time. (F)
7. I have a good appetite. (T)
8. I have diarrhea once a month or more. (F)
9. At times I hear so well it bothers me. (F)
10. I seldom worry about my health. (T)

B. Psychasthenia and seclusiveness.

11. I feel unable to tell anyone all about myself. (F)
12. I feel sympathetic towards people who tend to hang on to their griefs and troubles. (F)
13. I brood a great deal. (F)
14. I frequently find myself worrying about something. (F)
15. I have met problems so full of possibilities that I have been unable to make up my mind about them. (F)
16. I get mad easily and then get over it soon. (T)
17. When I leave home‚ I do not worry about whether the door is locked and the windows closed. (T)
18. Sometimes some unimportant thought will run through my mind and bother me for days. (F)
19. Often I cross the street in order not to meet someone I see. (F)
20. I dream frequently about things that are best kept to myself. (F)

C. Attitudes toward religion.

21. I go to church almost every week. (T)
22. I pray several times every week. (F)
23. Christ performed miracles such as changing water into wine. (F)
24. Everything is turning out just like the prophets of the Bible said it would. (F)
25. I have had some very unusual religious experiences. (F)
26. I believe my sins are unpardonable. (F)

D. Moral posture.

27. I would certainly enjoy beating a crook at his own game. (T)
28. When I get bored‚ I like to stir up some excitement. (T)
29. I do many things which I regret afterwards (I regret things more or more often than others seem to). (F)
30. I can be friendly with people who do things which I consider wrong. (T)
31. Some people are so bossy that I feel like doing the opposite of what they request‚ even though I know they are right. (T)
32. I like to flirt. (T)
33. I am a t t r a c t e d by members of the opposite sex. (T)
34. I never attend a sexy show i f I can avoid i t . (F)
35. I like to talk about sex. (T)
36. I do not like to see women smoke. (F)
37. Sometimes I enjoy hurting persons I love. (T)

E. Sense of reality.

38. I have had very peculiar and strange experiences. (F)
39. I have strange and peculiar thoughts. (F)
40. I have had blank spells in which my activities were interrupted and I did not know what was going on around me. (F)
41. When I am with people‚ I am bothered by hearing very queer things. (F)
42. At times I have fits of laughing and crying that I cannot control. (F)
43. I have had no difficulty in keeping ray balance in walking. (T)
44. Parts of my body often have feelings like burning‚ tingling ‚ crawling‚ or like “going to sleep.” (F)
45. My skin seems to be unusually sensitive to touch. (F)

F. Personal adequacy‚ ability to cope.

46. My plans have frequently seemed so full of difficulties that I have had to give them up. (F)
47. I am easily downed in an argument. (F)
48. I find it hard to keep my mind on a task or job. (F)
49. My way of doing things is apt to be misunderstood by others. (F)
50. I sometimes feel that I am about to go to pieces. (F)
51. I feel tired a good deal of the time. (F)
52. If I were an artist‚ I would like to draw flowers. (F)
53. If I were an artist‚ I would like to draw children. (F)
54. I like collecting flowers or growing house plants. (F)
55. I like to cook. (F)
56. When someone says silly or ignorant things about something I know‚ I try to set him right. (T)

G. Phobias‚ infantile anxieties.

57. I am not afraid of fire. (T)
58. I am made nervous by certain animals. (F)
59. Dirt frightens or disgusts me. (F)
60. I am afraid of finding myself in a closet or small closed place. (F)
61. I have often been frightened in the middle of the night. (F)

H. Miscellaneous.

62. I like science. (T)
63. I think Lincoln was greater than Washington. (T)
64. I very much like horseback riding. (F)
65. The man who had most to do with me when I was a child (such as my father‚ stepfather‚ etc.) was very strict with me. (T)
66. One or more members of my family is very nervous. (T)