Robert Kegan
Encyclopedia
Robert Kegan is the William and Miriam Meehan Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development at Harvard University
. Additionally he is the Educational Chair for the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education and the Co-director for the Change Leadership Group. Kegan is a developmental psychologist
and the author of numerous books, including his most well-known work The Evolving Self (1982).
In The Evolving Self, Kegan presents a model of psychological development consisting of six "equilibrium stages": the incorporative stage, the impulsive stage, the imperial stage, the interpersonal stage, the institutional stage, and the inter-individual stage. The object of each stage is the subject of the preceding stage.
The subject of the incorporative stage are reflexes, and it has no object. The subjects of the impulsive stage are the individual's impulses and perception
s, and its objects are the reflexes. The subject of the imperial stage are the individual's needs, interests, and desires
, and its objects are the individual's impulses and perceptions. The subject of the interpersonal stage are interpersonal relationship
s and mutuality, and its objects are the individual's needs, interests, and desires. The subject of the institutional stage are the individual's authorship, identity, and ideology
, and its objects are
interpersonal relationships and mutuality. The subject of the inter-individual stage is "the interpenetrability of self-systems", and its objects are the individual's authorship, identity, and ideology.
Stage 0: Incorporative stage
Stage 1: Impulsive stage
Stage 2: Imperial stage
Stage 3: Interpersonal stage
Stage 4: Institutional stage
Stage 5: Inter-individual stage
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Additionally he is the Educational Chair for the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education and the Co-director for the Change Leadership Group. Kegan is a developmental psychologist
Developmental psychology
Developmental psychology, also known as human development, is the scientific study of systematic psychological changes, emotional changes, and perception changes that occur in human beings over the course of their life span. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to...
and the author of numerous books, including his most well-known work The Evolving Self (1982).
In The Evolving Self, Kegan presents a model of psychological development consisting of six "equilibrium stages": the incorporative stage, the impulsive stage, the imperial stage, the interpersonal stage, the institutional stage, and the inter-individual stage. The object of each stage is the subject of the preceding stage.
The subject of the incorporative stage are reflexes, and it has no object. The subjects of the impulsive stage are the individual's impulses and perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
s, and its objects are the reflexes. The subject of the imperial stage are the individual's needs, interests, and desires
Motivation
Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
, and its objects are the individual's impulses and perceptions. The subject of the interpersonal stage are interpersonal relationship
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
s and mutuality, and its objects are the individual's needs, interests, and desires. The subject of the institutional stage are the individual's authorship, identity, and ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
, and its objects are
interpersonal relationships and mutuality. The subject of the inter-individual stage is "the interpenetrability of self-systems", and its objects are the individual's authorship, identity, and ideology.
Stage 0: Incorporative stage
- Subject: reflexes
- Object: nothing
Stage 1: Impulsive stage
- Subject: impulses, perceptions
- Object: reflexes
Stage 2: Imperial stage
- Subject: needs, interests, desires
- Object: impulses, perceptions
Stage 3: Interpersonal stage
- Subject: interpersonal relationships, mutuality
- Object: needs, interests, desires
Stage 4: Institutional stage
- Subject: authorship, identity, ideology
- Object: interpersonal relationships, mutuality
Stage 5: Inter-individual stage
- Subject: "the interpenetrability of self-systems"
- Object: authorship, identity, ideology
Notable works
- (with L. Lahey) Immunity to Change: How to Overcome it and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization , 2009
- (with T. Wagner and L. Lahey) Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools , 2005
- (with L. Lahey) How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation, 2000
- In Over Our Heads: the Mental Demands of Modern Life, 1994
- The Evolving Self, 1982