Table 1.

Ego functions and their components, as defined by Bellak and Sheehy (1976).

Ego functions	Components
Reality testing	Distinction between inner and outer stimuli
	Accuracy of perception of external events (incl. orientation to time and place)
	Accuracy of perception of internal events
Judgment	Anticipation of consequences of intended behavior
	Manifestation of this anticipation in behavior
	Appropriateness of behavior to external events
Sense of reality	Extent of derealization
	Extent of depersonalization
	Self-identity and self-esteem
	Clarity of boundaries between self and world
Regulation and control of drives, affects, and impulses	Directness of impulse expression
	Effectiveness of delay mechanisms
Object relations	Degree and kind of relatedness (narcissistic attachment or symbiotic object choices)
	Primitivity versus maturity
	Degree to which others are perceived independently of self
	Object constancy
Thought processes	Memory, conception, and attention
	Ability to conceptualize
	Primary versus secondary process as reflected in communicative language
Adaptive regression in the service of the ego (ARISE)	Ability to regressively relax cognitive acuity
	Ability to allow new configurations to emerge in thinking
Defensive functioning	Weakness or obtrusiveness of defenses
	Success or failure of defenses
Stimulus barrier	Threshold for stimuli
	Effectiveness of management of excessive stimulus input
Autonomous Functioning	Degree of freedom from impairment of primary autonomy apparatuses
	Degree of freedom from impairment of secondary autonomy apparatuses
Synthetic-Integrative Functioning	Degree of reconciliation of incongruities
	Degree of active relating together of events
Mastery-Competence	Competence (how well a person performs in relation to his or her capacity to actively master and affect his or her environment)
	Feeling of competence as measured by person’s expectations of success on actual performance
	Discrepancy between actual competence and feeling of competence