Student-created self-portraits expand the possibilities for understanding how students' complex identities, relationships, and epistemologies shape their self-authoring potential. An illustrative student self-portrait demonstrates how this method reveals the nuances of development. "I like writing, but I can't express myself the…

In this article, the author briefly traces the academic traditions that have formed the major body of student development literature, highlighting the evolution of separate rather than integrated constructs. She then summarizes Robert Kegan's conception of a metapsychology that integrates many of these separate lines of research. Next, she offers…

This article describes three distinct yet interrelated elements of self-authorship: trusting the internal voice, building an internal foundation, and securing internal commitments. These elements, which emerged from longitudinal interviews with adults in their 30s, offer insights into the complexity and cyclical nature of self-authorship as well…

This article presents two interview strategies used to assess college students' developmental growth toward self-authorship. We illustrate that self-authorship is a foundation for achieving many college learning outcomes and argue that designing practice to promote self-authorship requires understanding how to assess it. We offer a brief overview…

This article focuses on the development of intercultural maturity, which is frequently cited as a desired collegiate outcome. We position our work on intercultural maturity in the context of a holistic approach to human development using Kegan's (1994) model as a foundation and relating this outcome to other collegiate learning outcomes. We…

The influence of cognitive development on ethnic identity development is investigated in the context of a qualitative longitudinal study of Latina/o college students. Findings indicate that when students reconstruct social knowledge their ethnic identity is positively influenced. Strategies and mechanisms for positively influencing identity…

Thirty-nine young adults' experiences in the eight years following their college graduation reveal possible conditions that promote complex interpersonal development between ages 22 and 30. Stories of how two participants acquired the internal identities needed to develop mutual relationships with others are used to depict cocurricular…

Describes how complex thinking evolves during the 20s based on a longitudinal study with 39 men and women age 18 to 30. Themes that characterize this epistemological and intrapersonal growth are translated to implications for student affairs. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/GCP)

Originally published in March/April 1996, advances an integrated perspective on learning and personal development by viewing the cognitive and affective dimensions of development as related parts of one process. Proposes that from this integrated perspective, a successful educational experience simultaneously increases cognitive understanding and…

Stories from a longitudinal study of 39 adults illuminate the complex journey from external to internal self-definition. Explores the dynamics of constructing an internal adult identity from age 22 to 30 and translates into recommendations for effective student affairs practice. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/GCP)

Annual informal conversational interviews (ten years) explore how young adults (N=39) take on responsibility, manage their affairs effectively, develop confidence, integrate and maintain identity, create meaning and organize experience, and make informed decisions in the face of societal demands and challenges. Higher education's role in promoting…

Compared standardized versus semi-structured approach to measuring intellectual development to identify accurate methods to assess gender differences and similarities. Intellectual development was measured for 101 college freshmen using the Measure of Epistemological Reflection and a semi-structured interview. Results provide strong evidence that…