Abstract
The goals of this research were to reveal the inner self (inner world) and to clarify the self-concept acquisition process, based on an analysis of 311 episode segments from the autobiography of an individual with a pervasive developmental disorder. The episodes were analyzed using the KJ (Kawakita Jiro) method. The results indicated that participants' nature of self was essentially similar to the self-awareness structure of average adolescents. However, difficulties specific to developmental disorder also became apparent, e.g., vulnerable sense of self and difficulty with self-cognition in interpersonal relationships. As a result, a crisis in loss of self was frequently experienced. These data suggest the possibility that the difficulties themselves functioned as a strategy to solve crises.
