THE EGOCENTRICITY INDEX AS A MEASURE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND EGOCENTRIC PERSONALITY STYLE FOR INPATIENT ADOLESCENTS

The Egocentricity Index (EI) was assessed as a measure of self-esteem, egocentric behavior, and a basic statistic in a population of 60 predominantly behavior disordered, inpatient adolescents. Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI) scales served as criterion measures. A low mean EI was found in these youngsters but was not mediated by low self-esteem as the Index was uncorrelated with self-esteem/self-concept measures. The Index did correlate with an histrionic type of egocentric personality style. The purported association between the EI components of pair and reflection responses was not observed here.