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Self-esteem in early adolescence: The identification and prediction of contrasting longitudinal trajectories
Abstract
The present study focused on differences in self-esteem trajectory in early adolescence rather than on average change across all children. Longitudinal data from 128 adolescents were obtained over a 2-year period that encompassed the transition from elementary school to junior high school. Cluster analysis revealed four markedly divergent self-esteem trajectories: consistently high (35%), chronically low (13%), steeply declining (21%), and small increase (31%). Attempts to predict trajectories were only partially successful. Peer social support was the strongest predictor, but its relation to self-esteem appears more circumscribed than had been thought. The discussion considers differences in the experience of early adolescence, as well as implications for the design and evaluation of preventive intervention.
... During adolescence, four types of developmental trajectory of self-esteem were identified: the "stable high group" (35%), the "chronically low group" (13%), the "steeply declining group" (21%), and "small increase group" (31%) while Zimmerman et al. (1997) found another four subgroups: "consistently high group" (48%), the "moderate and rising group" (19%), the "steadily decreasing group" (20%), and the "consistently low group" (13%; DuBois, 1994;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Zimmerman et al., 1997). ...
... Therefore, we presupposed two growth trends: linear growth trend and quadratic growth trend. Based on these studies (Birkeland et al., 2012;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Zimmerman et al., 1997), we explored the development trend of self-esteem under the framework of GMM, and selected the optimal model by gradually increasing the number of latent classes. ...
... In terms of the development trend and proportion of the "rapidly decrease group," our findings were consistent with previous studies (Birkeland et al., 2012;Pan, 2015). Additionally, studies with relatively short tracking time found that self-esteem showed a rapid decline from early childhood to late childhood, which was in line with the trend in the first stage of the "rapidly decrease group" in current study (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Wang & Li, 2017). It suggested that a small proportion of adolescents tend to experience a significant decline in self-esteem before the age of 14 and a dramatically increase after the age of 14. ...
Self-esteem has always been a hot research object in the field of adolescent mental health. But in longitudinal research, using a single slope to describe the trajectory of adolescent self-esteem is unrealistic. The piecewise growth mixture model (PGMM) was used to fit the data in this study. Selecting from China Family Panel Studies database, a total of 1,759 individuals were selected and their self-esteem (RSES) scores over the years were used as the tracking index. Based on the characteristics of the development trajectories of three latent classes, class 1 was referred to as “stable low level group,” class 2 was named “rapidly rising group,” and class 3 was referred to as “rapidly decrease group.” And there were two stages in the development process of self-esteem in the adolescent group. The slope of the stable low level group showed a significant downward trend in the first stage and a significant upward trend in the second stage, with a relatively flat development trajectory and relatively low self-esteem on the whole. The slope of the rapidly rising group showed an insignificant upward trend in the first stage and a significant rapid upward trend in the second stage. The rapidly decrease group showed a significant and rapid downward trend in the first stage and a significant and rapid upward trend in the second stage. In the development of self-esteem in adolescence, there were three latent classes in which the characteristics of development trajectories were different. Age of 14 is the turning point between the two stages of development.
... , (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Townsend, McCracken, & Wilton, 1988). (Freeman & Brown, 2001;Gorrese & Ruggieri, 2013). ...
... , (Harter, 1998;M. Rosenberg, 1965) (Epstein, 1983;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991). ...
... . 6 6 (Vernberg, 1990) (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991) . ...
... This integration of variable-and person-centred approaches has been carried out in prior research on self-esteem (Birkeland, Melkevik, Holsen, & Wold, 2012;Deihl, Vicary, & Deike, 1997;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Morin, Maïano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz, 2013;Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope, & Dielman, 1997). These studies found interindividual variability in self-esteem development to be due to either three (Birkeland et al., 2012;Deihl et al., 1997) or four (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Morin et al., 2013;Zimmerman et al., 1997) underlying latent trajectory classes. ...
... This integration of variable-and person-centred approaches has been carried out in prior research on self-esteem (Birkeland, Melkevik, Holsen, & Wold, 2012;Deihl, Vicary, & Deike, 1997;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Morin, Maïano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz, 2013;Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope, & Dielman, 1997). These studies found interindividual variability in self-esteem development to be due to either three (Birkeland et al., 2012;Deihl et al., 1997) or four (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Morin et al., 2013;Zimmerman et al., 1997) underlying latent trajectory classes. In the case of three latent classes, the development of selfesteem has been described as (a) constantly high, (b) constantly low, and either (c) slightly increasing (Deihl et al., 1997) or as U-shaped (Birkeland et al., 2012), respectively. ...
... In the case of three latent classes, the development of selfesteem has been described as (a) constantly high, (b) constantly low, and either (c) slightly increasing (Deihl et al., 1997) or as U-shaped (Birkeland et al., 2012), respectively. The four latent classes have been described as reflecting (a) constantly high, (b) constantly low, (c) increasing, and either (d) moderate (Morin et al., 2013) or declining (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Zimmerman et al., 1997) trajectories of self-esteem. However, all of these studies examined only adolescents, and these results might not represent more heterogeneous samples. ...
In many longitudinal studies, self-esteem has been shown to increase up until around age 50 or 60 and to decrease thereafter. These studies have also found substantial inter-individual differences in the intra-individual development of self-esteem. In the current study, we examined whether this variation in change could be attributed to underlying latent classes of individuals following different trajectories of self-esteem development over time. By applying general growth mixture modelling to data from the representative German pairfam study (N = 12 377), four latent classes of self-esteem development across five years were extracted. Based on their mean levels, trajectories, and variability, individuals in the latent classes could be described as having (a) constant and stable high self-esteem (29.00% of the sample), (b) constant but variable moderate self-esteem (31.69%), (c) increasing and stabilizing self-esteem (15.13%), and (d) decreasing and variable self-esteem (24.18%). Furthermore, these latent classes differed in accordance with findings of prior research on self-rated, partner-rated, and objective correlates of the domains of health and well-being, partner relationships, and occupational status. Thus, the current study shows that inter-individual variation in intra-individual change in self-esteem is not random but reflects specific individual trajectories, or pathways, of self-esteem.
... The total score of self-esteem ranged from 0 to 30 for 10 items. Levels of self-esteem were classified as high self-esteem (25-30), normal self-esteem (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25) and low self-esteem (0-15). ...
... The findings are convergent with those of Hirsch and DuBois where 120 adolescents were followed up for transition from elementary to junior high school. [17] The fact that self-esteem declines with age also supports the findings of our study. [8] Marital status of the individual did not seem to contribute to the scores of self-esteem [ Table 2]. ...
Self-esteem refers to the individual’s perception or subjective appraisal of one’s own self-worth, self-confidence and self-respect. Self-esteem plays an important role in determining and preventing mental health disorders. There is a dearth in the knowledge of understanding self-esteem among Indian urban slum adolescents; therefore, this study was taken to assess self-esteem among adolescents of an urban poor locality using ‘The Rosenberg Self-esteem scale’. A cross-sectional survey among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years was conducted from April to June 2023 in the urban poor locality of Bangalore. Taking prevalence of low self-esteem among adolescents as 15.3%, the sample size was calculated as 200. Out of 200 subjects, 52.7% were females and 47.5% were male. We found that 28.0% were school dropouts. The study showed a majority of the subjects had normal or high self-esteem and 10.5% had low self-esteem.
Increasing age of the adolescents was found to be significantly associated with self-esteem scores ( p < .05). This study identified that 10.5% had poor self-esteem and they need support from family, school and Sneha Clinic at Urban Primary Health Centre to improve their life skills and prevent mental health issues in adolescence and adulthood.
... Researchers have long discussed the possibility of individual differences in trajectories of global self-esteem (Block & Robins, 1993;Harter & Whitesell, 2003). Empirical support for such intra-individual variability is relatively sparse, although significant slope parameters in recent growth curve studies (Baldwin & Hoffmann, 2002;Harris et al., 2015;Smokowski et al., 2010;Steiger et al., 2014) and different approaches from earlier studies (Block & Robins, 1993;Deihl, Vicary, & Deike, 1997;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Zimmerman et al., 1997) lend support for variability in global self-esteem change across individuals. ...
... We found support for the idea that youth show variation in how well they conform to overall normative self-esteem trends. We found significant variances around the intercepts and slopes of all SDQ subscales, consistent with many past studies of various psychological traits (Griffin et al., 2006;Roberts & Mroczek, 2008;Robins et al., 2001), global self-esteem (Baldwin & Hoffmann, 2002;Block & Robins, 1993;Deihl et al., 1997;Harris et al., 2015;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Smokowski et al., 2010;Steiger et al., 2014;Zimmerman et al., 1997), and domain self-esteem (Kuzucu et al., 2014;Steiger et al., 2014;Young & Mroczek, 2003). We also found considerable variability in 95% plausible value ranges of selfesteem slopes, and reliable change indices corroborated the presence of variation in the slope parameters of each SDQ subscale. ...
The current study investigated the development of global and domain (academic, physical, same-sex peer relationship, opposite-sex peer relationship) self-esteem across the transition to adolescence in a sample of Mexican-origin adolescents from ages 10 to 16. Participants’ (N = 674) responses on Marsh’s (2005) Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ) II-S showed moderate rank-order stability across four time points. In terms of mean levels, most self-evaluations decreased across adolescence. The exception to this trend was that opposite-sex peer relationship self-esteem increased. As expected, there were individual differences in rates of change for all SDQ subscales. Most concurrent domain self-esteem subscales were moderately related to global self-esteem (r’s between .18 and .87), but they did not predict changes in global self-esteem over time. Academic self-esteem consistently emerged as one of the strongest concurrent associations with global self-esteem. There were some gender differences in differential stability of global and domain self-esteem measures but no normative or intra-individual differences by gender. These findings provide important insight into the development of self-esteem in a rapidly-growing segment of the population of the United States.
... For example, studies have found school climates that promote fairness, security, student autonomy and participation, and positive interpersonal relationships with teachers and peers have a positive association with self-esteem (Hoge et al. 1990;Hirsch and DuBois 1991;Deihl et al. 1997;Roeser and Eccles 1998;Reddy et al. 2003;Greene and Way 2005;Way et al. 2007;Morin et al. 2013). Student's academic achievement as well as perception that the school climate promotes mastery and achievement are also related to self-esteem (Hoge et al. 1990;Hirsch and DuBois 1991;Zimmerman et al. 1997;Roeser and Eccles 1998;Morin et al. 2013). ...
... For example, studies have found school climates that promote fairness, security, student autonomy and participation, and positive interpersonal relationships with teachers and peers have a positive association with self-esteem (Hoge et al. 1990;Hirsch and DuBois 1991;Deihl et al. 1997;Roeser and Eccles 1998;Reddy et al. 2003;Greene and Way 2005;Way et al. 2007;Morin et al. 2013). Student's academic achievement as well as perception that the school climate promotes mastery and achievement are also related to self-esteem (Hoge et al. 1990;Hirsch and DuBois 1991;Zimmerman et al. 1997;Roeser and Eccles 1998;Morin et al. 2013). ...
This dissertation analyzes how early inequalities in health and education affect later educational, health, and social and emotional outcomes. I place particular emphasis on how the unique economic circumstances of the developing world interact with the dynamic and multidimensional nature of child development. In Chapter 1, I build a theory of human capital formation that links early health differences to observed schooling gaps across countries. My main finding is that early health inequalities are amplified into large schooling gaps within and across countries. In Chapter 2, I use a unique Indian data set to link private school attendance to measures of self-efficacy and self-esteem and find that private school may play at least as significant a role in early psychosocial as in cognitive development. Finally, in Chapter 3, I construct a novel measure of seasonal food scarcity and find that prenatal exposure to scarcity has a lasting impact on childhood health in Ethiopia. Overall, my findings highlight the importance of understanding the dynamic and multidimensional nature of child development for effective targeting of policy interventions in the developing world.
... This decline is twice as high for females than males. Studies have found that one-third of adolescents experience low self-esteem, especially in early adolescence (Harter, 1990;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991). Gender studies have identified the fact that adolescent females, on average, have a lower sense of self-worth than adolescent males (Baumeister, 1993;Pipher, 1994). ...
Attachment is the emotional bond between the infant and the primary caregiver that has a tremendous impact throughout their life. The current study aimed to explore the attachment of adolescents to parents and peers, their relationship and the impact on the development of self-esteem in adolescents aged between 16 and 18 years. The sample (N = 561) was randomly selected and data were collected across males (N = 250) and females (N = 311) from high schools. The method used in this study is the descriptive research design and data were collected using questionnaires about attachment and self-esteem. The results indicated that, overall, there was a correlation between parent attachment and peer attachment to self-esteem in adolescents. It turned out that attachment to parents shows a significant relationship with self-esteem regarding peer attachment. According to the research findings, we can conclude that a secure parent attachment contributes to a secure peer attachment and high self-esteem. The findings of this study can serve as an empirical basis for taking initiatives that focus on improving the psychosocial well-being of adolescents.
... 4,5 Previous studies have found that one-third to Original Article SMJ one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem. 6 During the COVID-19 pandemic, research in Thailand revealed that adolescents experienced a lower level of self-esteem, with 51.9% reporting reduced self-esteem. 7 Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have demonstrated their effectiveness in enhancing subjective well-being, reducing stress, anxiety, 8 and depression, 9 as well as improving emotion regulation, self-control, and enhancing executive, behavioral, and socio-emotional competences. ...
Objective: This study aimed to develop and assess the effectiveness of the MBSI online program in enhancing selfesteem, mindfulness, and resilience among adolescents, while also evaluating its feasibility and participant satisfaction. Materials and Methods: The MBSI online program is an adapted form of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), developed by integrating specific aspects of mindfulness that are related to self-esteem and the core processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), following consultations with mindfulness experts and program trials. The study enrolled 70 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years with low to moderate self-esteem, from diverse Thairegions. Participants were randomly assigned and equally allocated to intervention and waiting-list control groups. The intervention group underwent an 8-week MBSI online program. Self-esteem, mindfulness, and resilience wereassessed at baseline, week 4, week 8, 1 month, and 3 months post-intervention. Results: The self-esteem, mindfulness, and resilience scores within the intervention group have significantly increased over time compared to baseline on week 4, week 8, 1 month, and 3 months post-intervention (p < 0.001). Furthermore, between-group comparisons revealed statistically significant improvements in self-esteem, mindfulness, and resilience (p < 0.05) at corresponding intervals, with medium to large effect sizes. The dropout rate was 25.7%, while participant satisfaction with the MBSI online program was remarkably high, averaging 4.73out of 5, with 76.9% expressing the highest level of satisfaction. Conclusion: The MBSI online program significantly improved self-esteem, mindfulness, and resilience in adolescents, achieving high participant satisfaction. This program presents a valuable intervention for adolescents with low selfesteem, aiming to prevent psychological issues stemming from diminished self-esteem.
... Studies have linked competence in the abovementioned socioemotional domains to a variety of meaningful educational outcomes. For instance, early adolescents who are more confident in themselves and regard themselves more positively demonstrate more positive academic outcomes over time (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991). In addition, adolescents who are able to effectively set appropriate goals tend to achieve greater academic success in comparison to their peers who lack effective goal-setting skills (Zimmerman et al., 1992). ...
The current manuscript describes the iterative development of an afterschool intervention aimed at fostering supportive relationships between adolescents and adults from their everyday lives. Project DREAM (Developing Resourcefulness, Engagement, Acceptance, and Mentoring) is a novel afterschool preventive intervention aimed at promoting youths' improved academic outcomes via gains in social and emotional development and their connectedness with nonparental adults. The purpose of the iterative development process was to improve the intervention to make it maximally usable and acceptable to the intended users and participants. The iterative development process was informed by data collected from advisory boards, focus groups, interviews, and observations of program sessions. In the current article, we describe the methods implemented as part of this process and fully describe the resulting intervention revisions completed across the 2-year period. We also summarize lessons learned.
... This decline is twice as high for females than males. Studies have found that one-third of adolescents experience low self-esteem, especially in early adolescence (Harter, 1990;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991). Gender studies have identified the fact that adolescent females, on average, have a lower sense of self-worth than adolescent males (Baumeister, 1993;Pipher, 1994). ...
Attachment is the emotional bond between the infant and the primary caregiver that has a tremendous impact throughout their life. The current study aimed to explore the attachment of adolescents to parents and peers, their relationship and the impact on the development of self-esteem in adolescents aged between 16 and 18 years. The sample (N = 561) was randomly selected and data were collected across males (N = 250) and females (N = 311) from high schools. The method used in this study is the descriptive research design and data were collected using questionnaires about attachment and self-esteem. The results indicated that, overall, there was a correlation between parent attachment and peer attachment to self-esteem in adolescents. It turned out that attachment to parents shows a significant relationship with self-esteem regarding peer attachment. According to the research findings, we can conclude that a secure parent attachment contributes to a secure peer attachment and high self-esteem. The findings of this study can serve as an empirical basis for taking initiatives that focus on improving the psychosocial well-being of adolescents. Keywords: Attachment; development; relationship; high school; self-esteem; students.
... Thus, young people at these ages frequently show, not only a decrease, but also strong fluctuations in their levels of self-esteem, which tend to decrease as adolescence progresses and adulthood is reached [37,38]. In previous studies, it has been observed that both the decline and fluctuations in self-esteem that occur in early adolescence are connected with significant negative experiences such as academic difficulties or loss of support from peers [39]. Adolescents with lower self-esteem are in turn more vulnerable to the impact of everyday events than those with higher self-esteem [40]. ...
Background:
current findings in the etiopathogenesis of eating disorders (ED) do not allow the formulation of a unique causal model. Currently, the main hypotheses about the etiopathogenesis are based on a multifactorial approach, considering both genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic and behavioral factors, as well as self-esteem, in students of the first cycle of middle school and the probability of belonging to the risk group of eating disorders (ED) measured through the EAT-26 scale.
Methods:
The study target population consists of students of the first cycle of middle school. The instruments applied to the population consisted in: (1) a survey of sociodemographic data and behavioral variables; (2) Rosenberg's self-esteem test; and (3) EAT Test (Eating Attitudes Test 26).
Results:
Of a total of 656 students belonging to eight educational centers in Madrid who were offered to participate in the study, 88.6% (n = 579) answered the whole questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 13.7 years old. Of the participating adolescents, 57.3% were male and the remaining 42.7% (n = 260) were female. A significant relationship was observed between self-esteem and belonging to an ED risk group, with an OR = 0.910 (CI 95% 0.878-0.943). Hence, each one-point increase on the self-esteem dimension decreased the risk of belonging to an ED risk group by 9.5%. In the variables considered in the area of dysfunctional feeding patterns, the variables 'number of meals' (p < 0.01), 'dieting' (p < 0.01), and 'drug consumption to lose weight' (p < 0.01) were found to be related to the risk of belonging to the ED group.
Conclusions:
The results obtained in our research can help to establish explanatory models that include the understanding of the interaction of the different factors that influence the appearance and development of EDs. Therefore, these should be taken into consideration when developing ED preventive programs.
... » -telles sont les questions auxquelles les adolescents cherchent à répondre. Même si ce processus a pu être décrit comme une crise, avant tout par des chercheurs d'orientation psychanalytique, les résultats d'études multiples tendent à montrer une stabilité considérable du concept de soi dans l'adolescence (DUSEK et FLAHERTY 1981, HÖRMANN et BRUNKE 1985, une stabilité qui ne doit toutefois pas dissimuler l'importance des disparités d'un individu à l'autre (HIRSCH et DUBOIS 1991). On a pu observer que c'est dans cet âge que s'élaborent les préférences pour telle ou telle orientation sociopolitique (STEINBERG 1993 ...
... At this stage, the role of self-esteem in the life of an adolescent appears pertinent. Studies have evinced that one-third to one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem, especially during adolescence (Harter, 1990;Hirsch & Dubois, 1991). The results of low self-esteem can lead to various problems like-submission, self-inflicted injuries, depression, and aggression (Battle, 1990;Bhatti, 1992). ...
Aim: This study investigates the impact of assertiveness training on assertiveness and self-esteem of high school students. Method: The study employs Quasi-experimental design where 130 participants aged 13-17 years were selected randomly and assigned into two groups as experimental (N-65) and control group (N-65). Tools: For this aim Assertiveness scale (AS) and Self-esteem questionnaire (RSE) were used. Training: During the treatment phase, the experimental group received assertiveness training of 5 weeks comprising two sessions per week, and each session took 45 minutes. After treatment both experimental and control groups are measured with post-tests. Results: The results show that assertiveness training has significantly increased the assertiveness and decreased the aggression and submission in the experimental group. Also the training has significantly increased the self-esteem of students. Conclusion: The obtained findings revealed an increase in the rate of self-esteem and assertiveness and decrease in the aggression and submission of students. Hence it proved that assertiveness training is significantly effective on the assertiveness, aggression, submission and self-esteem of students.
... Most young teenagers, as part of their search for identity, experience tension between their attempts to become independent from their parents and their actual dependence on them. Studies have found that onethird to one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem, especially in early adolescence (Harter, 1990;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991). The results of low self-esteem can be temporary, but in serious cases can lead to various problems including depression, anorexia nervosa, delinquency, self-inicted injuries and even suicide. ...
Emotional maturity enables a person to create the life they desire. A life filled with happiness and fulfilment. An individual defines success in their terms, not society's, and strive to achieve it. Similarly, Self-esteem focuses on how we value ourselves; how we perceive our value to the world and how valuable we think we are to others. Self-esteem affects our trust in others, our relationships, our work – nearly every part of our lives. The research design used in the study is ex- post facto survey research and the sample size of the study consisted of 30 adolescents of age ranged from 15 - 18 years. The tools used in the present study are Self Esteem Scale (Dhar & Dhar, 2005) and Emotional Maturity scale (Singh & Bhargava, 1990). The results of the study conclude that there is no relationship between Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity and gender was not found to be significant for any of the variables, Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity.
... For instance, attachment to peers in the form of high trust, high communication, and low alienation (Hirsch & DuBois, 1991), perceived support from peers (Laible, Carlo, Roesch, 2004;Wilkinson, 2004) in adolescence was found to be positively associated with self-esteem. Hoffman, Ushpiz, and Levy-Shiff (1988) investigated the effect of perceived social support from parents and peers on the adolescents' self-esteem. ...
The aim of the current study is to investigate the role of individual factor (self-esteem) as mediator on the relationship among parental factor (perceived parental acceptance/involvement), environmental factors (perceived peer social support, and sense of school belonging) and resilience in adolescents from low socioeconomic districts. The sample of the study was composed of 1312 high school students (673 female, 639 male) between 13-19 age ranges (M = 15.67, SD = 1.18). Demographic Information Form, 14-Item Resilience Scale, Parental Attitude Scale, Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale, Social Support Appraisals Scale for Children and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used to gather data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test hypothesized resilience model. The results of SEM indicated that resilience was positively predicted from perceived parental acceptance/involvement, perceived peer social support, and sense of school belonging. Self-esteem was also found to predict resilience significantly and positively. In addition, self-esteem partially mediated the association between perceived parental acceptance/involvement, perceived peer social support, sense of school belonging and resilience. The results of the study showed that the proposed model explained 33% of the variance in the resilience of adolescents. Consequently, the findings supported the significance of individual, parental, and environmental variables in adolescents' resilience.
... On the other hand, taking into account that there are inter-individual differences in selfesteem development, the lack of age differences when the whole group was taken into account could suggest additional factors not taken into consideration in the present study that exist and influence different courses of selfesteem development. These additional factors may be related to peers' social support (Hirsch and DuBois 1991), body image and relations with parents (Birkeland et al. 2012) or shifts in life events and family cohesion (Baldwin and Hoffmann 2002), as well as individual factors related to socio-economic status (SES), race or social class (Rhodes et al. 2004). Analyzing these factors definitely deserves further studies. ...
Self-esteem is continuous and has stable characteristics, but it may also change, e.g., during transitions from one educational level to the next. In a prospective cross-sectional study over a year and a half, 250 Polish early adolescents (N = 109, 54 girls; mean age at T1 = 12.68 years, SD = 0.49) and middle adolescents (N = 141, 107 girls; mean age at T1 = 15.80, SD = 0.44) were tested three times using Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, assessing both global self-esteem and self-evaluation in eight domains. The change and consistency of self-esteem were analyzed, at both group and individual levels. At the group level, the following results were found: (1) continuity of self-esteem in five domains (scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance, close friendship, and romantic appeal) and in global self-esteem and discontinuity in only three domains (social acceptance, job competence, and behavioral conduct); (2) significant inter-individual variation in the change not explained by age; and (3) higher self-esteem (in five domains) in early adolescents. At the individual level, the stability in most domains was weak, but was restored over the second year at the new school. The complexity of the developmental change and consistency in self-esteem in adolescence was highlighted, emphasizing the need for analyzing both group and individual change.
... The moderate group was characterized by an initial level that is lower than the first trajectory, but following a similar quadratic pattern over time. These two trajectories represent a majority of the adolescents, showing that most of them evaluate themselves as generally valuable and worthy, supporting what earlier studies have illustrated before (Hirsh et Dubois, 1991;Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope, & Delman, 1997;Diehl, Vicary, & Deike, 1997;Birkeland, Melkevik, Holsen, & Wold, 2012;Morin, Maïano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz, 2013). Those findings lead to a positive outlook on the well-being of teenagers and their future psychosocial adaptation. ...
... In research on adolescents and young adults, test-retest correlations are typically around .50 over 1-to 6-year time intervals (e.g., Alsaker & Olweus, 1992;Bachman & O'Malley, 1977;Block & Robins, 1993;Elliot, 1996;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;R. E. Roberts & Bengtson, 1996;Roeser & Eccles, 1998;Stein, Newcomb, & Bentler, 1986). ...
Two studies examined the rank-order stability of self-esteem from age 6 to 83: Study 1 was a meta-analysis of 50 published articles (N = 29,839) and Study 2 analyzed data from 4 large national studies (N = 74,381). Self-esteem showed substantial continuity over time (disattenuated correlations ranged from the .50s to .70s), comparable to the stability found for personality traits. Both studies provided evidence for a robust developmental trend: Self-esteem stability was low during childhood, increased throughout adolescence and young adulthood, and declined during midlife and old age. This trend could not be explained by age differences in the reliability of self-esteem measures, and generally replicated across gender, ethnicity, self-esteem scale, nationality (U.S. vs. non-U.S.), and year of publication.
... Specifically, although self-worth becomes more negative over the course of adolescence for some (Robins & Trzesniewski, 2005), others demonstrate positive or stable trajectories (e.g., Zimmerman et al., 1997). Multiple studies in typically developing youth have found support for distinct trajectories of self-worth characterized as "consistently high," "moderate and rising," "steadily decreasing," and "consistently low" (e.g., Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Zimmerman et al., 1997). However, it is unknown whether this heterogeneity is also evident in young adolescents with ADHD who often experience significant increases in impairment 2 following the transition to middle school (Langberg et al., 2008;Sibley, Evans, & Serpell, 2010). ...
Resilience models suggest that there are likely to be multiple trajectories of self-worth and that despite experiencing impairment, some youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may maintain a positive self-worth, which could buffer them against negative outcomes. The present study used a cohort-sequential longitudinal design to evaluate developmental trajectories of global self-worth in a sample of 324 middle-school-age adolescents (71% male) diagnosed with ADHD between ages 11 and 14 in predicting outcomes at age 15. Sex, medication status, and ADHD/oppositional defiant disorder symptom severity were included as covariates in the models. Using growth mixture modeling, 3 distinct self-worth trajectory groups were identified: (a) high and increasing (44.4% of participants), (b) moderate and decreasing (48.8%), and (c) low and decreasing (6.8%). Participants with high and increasing global self-worth were less likely to exhibit co-occurring depressive symptoms and had better social functioning and higher grades at age 15 relative to those in either decreasing trajectory. Implications of these findings for monitoring and supporting positive global self-worth for adolescents with ADHD are discussed.
... The research have shown that one third to one half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem especially in early adolescence (Harter, 1990;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991). ...
Adolescence is characterized by dramatic physical and psychological changes. Adolescents need to accept those changes and overcome a number of challenges of growing-up process. Although most young people cope with adolescence successfully, some of them may develop different mental health disorders, including body image disturbances. Body image refers to the person's mental image of her/his physical appearance, as well as corresponding feelings, beliefs and sensation of one's own body. Previous research mostly suggest that participation in physical activity and sport is related to higher self-perception and more positive body image, although women have generally more negative body image in relation to men. Aiming to examine relationship between sport participation and body image of adolescent girls, the study was conducted on the sample comprising 272 female respondents, 12-14 years of age. Two subsamples were established: adolescent girls participating in sport (N=147) and adolescent girls non participating in sport (N=125). Data were gathered by anonymous questionnaire and analyzed by appropriate statistical procedures. Results obtained suggest that sport participation is related to a more positive body image of adolescent girls. Bearing in mind that negative body image may lead to lower self-esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and health problems, further research is required in the field of potential sport engagement benefits to more positive body image of adolescent girls.
... This finding indicates that there are no latent subpopulations of trajectories for student feelings of self-worth or fate control discernable over middle and high school. This finding is contrary to prior research utilizing cluster analysis of growth curves, which had been able to identify four groups of trajectories of self-esteem for adolescents in Grades 6-10 (consistently high, moderate and rising, steadily decreasing, consistently low) (Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope, & Dielman, 1997;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991), and the four latent classes of trajectories identified through growth mixture modeling among students Grades 7-10 in 98 Montreal by Morin, Maiano, Marsh, Nagengast and Janosz (2013). This disparity could be due to a number of factors, including differing sample characteristics, age range, instrumentation, and methodology. ...
A talented, innovative workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a critical component of sustained economic growth and global competitiveness. The development of this workforce is a primary concern among policymakers, industry leaders, and academics. Although many students express an interest in STEM in secondary school, many of them eventually choose not to pursue a degree or career in a STEM field. This trend has been linked to inadequate achievement, but also to lack of confidence, inconsistent interest, and shifting motivation. It is important that we understand the development of precollege socialcognitive factors affecting persistence to help identify whether some trajectories might have more desirable outcomes than others, and points at which intervention efforts might best be targeted. Growth mixture modeling was used in the current study to uncover unobserved developmental subgroups of students’ attitudes toward science and positive core self-concept through their middle and high school years. Three distinct subgroups of change patterns were found for each of mastery motivation, attitudes toward science utility, and science self-concept. Science Self-Concept subgroups demonstrated significant and reasonably distinct associations with relevant science achievement, postsecondary, and career outcomes, where the results for Mastery Motivation and Science Utility subgroups were mixed. Science Utility and Science Self-Concept subgroups of developmental trajectories both exhibited plausible and appropriate associations with parent and demographic factors as well as initial student, parent, and teacher expectations about college and career.
... Harter and Hirsch has reported, worldwide studies on adolescent self-esteem revealed, one-third to one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem, especially in early adolescence. [1] According to a National Report on the State of Self-esteem, by Dove selfesteem fund, U.S.A, seven in ten girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members. 62% of all girls feel insecure or not sure of themselves. ...
A pre experimental study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of assertiveness training on Self-esteem among adolescent girls. The study was done in a private school in Nepal. Findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the pre and post interventional level of self esteem among the adolescent girls there by concluding that assertiveness training is effective at p=0.001.Socio demographic variables, education of father, occupation of mother and family income were found significantly associated with their Post interventional level of self-esteem
Key words: Self-esteem, Assertiveness Training.
... The self-esteem of an adolescent is an important contributor of his growth and dealing with difficulties. Studies have found that onethird to one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem, especially in early adolescence (Harter, 1990;Hirsch & Dubois, 1991). The results of low self-esteem can be temporary, but in serious cases can lead to various problems including depression, delinquency, self-inflicted injuries, suicide (Battle, 1990;Bhatti, 1992), and anorexia nervosa. ...
The aim of the present study was to see the imp act of life skill training on self-esteem, adjustment and empathy among adolescents. Total sample comprised of 60 students (30 males and 30 females) from the Hans Raj Model School, Punjabi Bagh who has received life skill training from the team of Expressions India. Self esteem inventory (school form), Adjustment inventory for school students (AISS) and the Empathy quotient (EQ) were administered in a group session one by one in two or three days both before training was given and after training. In the post condition, test scores were obtained after 5 months of training. The result showed that subjects improved significantly in post condition on self-esteem, emotional adjustment, educational adjustment, total adjustment and empathy. However, no significant difference was found on social adjustment in pre and post condition. Overall training was very ef fective as subjects improved in the post condition on all measures except one, thus showing that Life skill training do show positive result s in bringing change in adolescent' s attitude, thought and behavior by providing supportive environment to them.
... Evidence suggests that adolescence may be a developmental stage of particular importance to selfworth and mental health, in that self-worth is low for some individuals during this period (Birkeland, Melkevik, Holsen, & Wold, 2012;Block & Robins, 1993;Donnellan, Trzesniewski, Conger, & Conger, 2007;Hirsch & Dubois, 1991;Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope, & Dielman, 1997), and many common emotional and behavioural problems increase in prevalence and/or first manifest during adolescence (Ford, Goodman, & Meltzer, 2003). Researchers working on the large-scale Dunedin birth cohort have shown that low adolescent self-worth predicts a range of negative outcomes 10 years later in early adulthood, including depression, anxiety, nicotine dependence, criminal convictions and multiple physical health outcomes (Trzesniewski et al., 2006). ...
Background:
Low self-worth during adolescence predicts a range of emotional and behavioural problems. As such, identifying potential sources of influence on self-worth is important. Aspects of the parent-child relationship are often associated with adolescent self-worth but to date it is unclear whether such associations may be attributable to familial confounding (e.g. genetic relatedness). We set out to clarify the nature of relationships between parental expressed affection and adolescent self-worth, and parent-child closeness and adolescent self-worth.
Methods:
We used data from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden, a children-of-twins sample comprising 909 adult twin pairs with adolescent children. Using these data we were able to apply structural equation models with which we could examine whether associations remained after accounting for genetic transmission.
Results:
Results demonstrated that parent-child closeness and parental-expressed affection were both phenotypically associated with adolescent self-worth. Associations could not be attributed to genetic relatedness between parent and child.
Conclusions:
Parent-child closeness and parental affection are associated with adolescent self-worth above and beyond effects attributable to genetic relatedness. Data were cross-sectional, so the direction of effects cannot be confirmed but findings support the notion that positive parent-child relationships increase adolescent self-worth.
... Die Schulklasse wird häufig als eine künstliche soziale Einheit definiert, weil sich Schulklassen nicht spontan bilden, sondern nach formellen Kriterien zusammengesetzt werden (siehe dazu die Überblicke in Apel, 2002und Neuenschwander, 2005. Als solche und primär über die sozialen Beziehungen innerhalb einer Klasse übt sie einen starken Einfluss auf das Lernen und die Entwicklung der Schülerinnen und Schüler aus (z.B. Helmke, 1992;Jerusalem, 1997;Satow, 1999). Es wird deshalb angenommen, dass problematische Sozialbeziehungen das soziale Selbstkonzept beeinträchtigen, da Kinder und Jugendliche gegenüber dieser wichtigen Bezugsgruppe besonders vulnerabel sind (Harter, 1988b;Hirsch & Dubois, 1991;Jackson & Bracken, 1998). ...
... Studies that have grouped self-esteem development for adolescent samples, however, have found that self-esteem trajectories differ substantially between individuals, with some adolescents showing consistently high, some chronically low, some declining, and some increasing or showing U-shaped self-esteem trajectory (Birkeland, Melkevik, Holsen, & Wold, 2012;Deihl, Vicary, & Deike, 1997;Hirsch & DuBois, 1991;Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope, & Dielman, 1997). Most important, there are large variations in adolescent self-esteem trajectories, suggesting strong interindividual differences in self-esteem development over time (Donnellan, Trzesniewski, Conger, & Conger, 2007;Steiger, Allemand, Robins, & Fend, 2014;Trzesniewski, Donnellan, & Robins, 2003). ...
A large body of literature suggests a clear, concurrent association between peer
approval and self-esteem in adolescence. However, little empirical work exists on
either the prospective or reciprocal relation between peer approval and self-esteem
during this age period. Moreover, it is unclear from past research whether both
subjectively perceived peer approval and objectively measured peer approval are
related to subsequent self-esteem over time (and vice versa) and whether these paths
have long-term associations into adulthood. Using data from a large longitudinal study
that covers a time span of two decades, we examined reciprocal, prospective relations
between self-esteem and peer approval during ages 12-16 in addition to long-term
relations between these variables and later social constructs at age 35. Cross-lagged
regression analyses revealed small but persistent effect sizes from both types of peer
approval to subsequent self-esteem in adolescence, controlling for prior self-esteem.
However, effects in the reverse direction were not confirmed. These findings support
the notion that peer relationships serve an important function for later self-esteem,
consistent with many theoretical tenets of the importance of peers for building a strong
identity. Finally, we found long-term relations between adult social constructs and
adolescent objective and subjective peer approval as well as self-esteem. Therefore,
not only do peer relationships play a role in self-esteem development across
adolescence, but they remain impactful throughout adulthood. In sum, the current
findings highlight the lasting, yet small link between peer relationships and self-esteem
development and call for investigations of further influential factors for self-esteem over
time.
... Ayrıca birçok araştırmada da benlik saygısı ile gelişimsel sonuçlar arasında ilişkiler ortaya konmuştur. Örneğin benlik saygısı, olumlu sosyal ilişkiler, psikolojik sağlık, uyum ve yüksek akademik performansla pozitif (Baumeister, Campbell, Kruegere ve Vohs, 2003;Griffore, Kalen, Popovich ve Powell, 1990;Hirsch ve DuBois, 1991;Rosenberg, 1965;Zimmerman, Copeland, Shope ve Dielman, 1997), yalnızlık, kaygı, yaşam doyumunda azalma, suç işleme ve depresyonla negatif yönde ilişkilidir (McCullough, Ashbridge ve Pegg, 1994;Mcwhirter, Besett-Alesch, Horibata ve Gat, 2002;Rosenberg, Schooler, Schoenbach ve Rosenberg, 1995). Ancak günümüzde, benlik değeri ve saldırgan davranışlar arasındaki ilişkide, bir grup araştırmacı, düşük benlik saygısına sahip bireylerin saldırgan ya da antisosyal davranışlar açısından risk altında olduğunu (örn., Fergusson ve Horwood, 2002;Sprott ve Doob, 2000); diğer bir grup araştırmacı ise yüksek benlik saygısının saldırgan ya da antisosyal davranışlarla ilişkili olduğunu öne sürmektedir (örn., Baumeister, Smart ve Boden ,1996;Baumeister ve ark., 2003). ...
In this research maternal psychological and behavioral control and its relationships with adolescents' friendships, psychosocial and academic adjustment and the mediator role of self esteem were investigated in a proposed model. Participants were 409 adolescents (200 girls, 209 boys; Mage = 14.61, range = 12 to 18 years) from 7th to 10th grade of primary and high schools. All adolescents were coming from middle class families. Measurements were Aggressive and Prosocial Behavior Questionnaire, Self Perception Profile for Adolescents, Behavioral Control Questionnaire, Psychological Control Questionnaire, Deviant Friends Questionnaire, Prosocial Friends Questionnaire, Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and perceived school success (evaluated by 5 point scale). Since preliminary analyses revealed different type of patterns for both boys and girls, structural equation models were conducted separately. Results showed that behavioral control was related with increased self-esteem, however, psychological control was not both for boys and girls. In addition, psychological and behavioral control related with other outcome behaviors in different ways according to gender. Increased psychological control related with increased internalization and externalization behavior problems and having more friends that are deviant in girls; externalization behavior problems and more friends that are deviant in boys. Perceived behavioral control was positively correlated with perceived school success in girls, and having prosocial friends in boys. Increased behavioral control was related with decreased internalization/externalization behavior problems and less deviant friends in boys. Findings were discussed in terms of type of maternal control and culture.
Applying latent growth mixture modeling (GMM), this study delves into the examination of self-esteem trajectories in a sample of 5,597 older adults over a nine-year period. Four distinct patterns of self-esteem changes have emerged: low, decreasing, increasing, and high. Additionally, the study explores the relationships between each trajectory and various predictors encompassing demographic factors, socioeconomic status, health, and interpersonal relationships. The findings highlight the significance of these factors in predicting the likelihood of an individual following a specific self-esteem trajectory. Notably, maintaining employment, fostering satisfactory social relationships, and being free of frequent depressive feelings emerged as strong predictors for the stability and increase of high self-esteem. Intriguingly, an average or above-average income was unexpectedly associated with lower levels of self-esteem. The study emphasizes the contribution of GMM to advancing aging research.
Objective
The impact of social connectedness and self-esteem on suicide behaviors among Latina/o youth with suicide ideation were examined. Method: Data were employed from Add Health Waves 1 and 2. The analysis for this study focused on 210 Latino/a youth who reported suicide ideation, but no suicide attempts at Wave 1. A multinomial variable (no suicide ideation, persistent suicide ideation, and transition to attempts) was created to examine suicide behaviors a year later in Wave 2. Multinomial logistic regression models were used. Results: Family connectedness reduced the odds of transitioning from ideation to suicide attempts relative to no ideation, adjusting for demographic and psychological covariates. In addition, school connectedness reduced the odds of persistent ideation relative to no ideation. Cuban-descent adolescents compared with those of Mexican descent, had increased odds of transitioning to attempts relative to no ideation group. Depression was not associated with the transition from ideation to attempts or persistent ideation. Conclusions: Suicide prevention efforts with Latino/a youth should target family and school connectedness as intervention strategies. Attention to diversity within Latinx subgroups should be emphasized.
Symptomatic expression of emotional or interpersonal maladjustment especially in children is called a behavioral problem (Merriam Webster). Such problems include nail-biting, enuresis, negativism, or overt hostile or antisocial acts). These problems are studied to lesser extent & exist lower in report as compared to drugs & alcohol consumption but place an individual life into chaos. By applying positive attributes like resilience, self esteem & social support behavioral problems can be reduced. Present study was carried out with aims 1) To find out the relation between resilience, self esteem, social support & behavioral problems of adolescents 2) To explore the gender differences in resilience, social support & self-esteem of adolescents. 3) To examine the effect of age group on behavioral problems in adolescents. A sample of one hundred high school students (50 male + 50 female) of 1X and X grade in age range of 15-18 yrs were selected randomly for the study. Tools used were, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Rosenberg’s Scale, Interpersonal support evaluation list, ISEL & Behavioral Problem Checklist given by Achenbach in 2001. No significant gender differences were indicated as all the t ratios obtained fall below the critical value of 0.05 probability. Except for relationship between self-esteem & behavioral problems all results were found to be significant.Age differences on the measures of resilience, self-esteem, social support & behavioral problems were found to be insignificant
Cyber bullying victims have the most noteworthy paces of suicidal ideation, requiring hypothesis and exploration researching self destruction and its avoidance in later-life. The experience of suicidal ideation is fundamentally connected with discouragement, sadness, negative wellbeing results, and mortality among cyber bullying victims. The research reported in this paper examines the impact of ethnicity, stream and gender on suicidal ideation among cyber bullying victim college students. The data obtained by stratified random sampling was based on three sub-groups of ethnicity (tribal and nontribal), stream (arts and science) and gender (male and female). The sample of 160 students was drawn from different colleges of Ranchi University. Suicidal ideation scaled by Dr Sisodia and Dr Bhatnagar was used to measure level of suicidal ideation. The findings obtained revealed that victims of different ethnicity and stream not differ to each other with respect of suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation of the female victim students is higher than male victim students. It confirms the role of gender effect on the suicidal ideation. No two and three way interaction effect of independent variables was found significant. In general there is a need of further exploration on bigger sample size and distinctive populace.
Investigated profiles of self‐esteem during early adolescence and their adaptive correlates in two separate longitudinal studies. Using multidimensional ratings of self‐esteem within a developmental‐ecological framework, cluster analysis revealed five distinct profiles for each sample. The profiles found were characterized by differing patterns of self‐evaluation across major contexts of development, including consistently positive or negative ratings for all domains as well as more variable patterns in which ratings for one or more domains (e.g., school) were elevated or diminished relative to those for other areas. Profiles, in turn, were found to be related to measures of youth adjustment both concurrently and longitudinally, independent of their associations with ratings of global self‐esteem. Prospective analyses in each study further revealed that profile type predicted differential change in measures of youth adjustment over time, whereas this type of relationship was not found for global ratings of self‐esteem. Implications for esteem‐enhancement interventions with youth are discussed.
This study was conducted to identify the self-esteem level, symptoms and the effect of Cognitive Restructuring Technique (CRT) in improving self-esteem. This is a single case study involving a 17-year-old female adolescent selected via purposive sampling. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in data collection. Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) was used to identify the client's self-esteem level, while interviews and observations using Mental Status Examination (MSE) were conducted to gather in-depth data on symptoms and the effectiveness of CRT. Six counseling sessions were conducted with the client. The difference between pre-test and post-test level was analyzed while categories and themes from qualitative data were developed using content analysis. Results showed that there was an increase in the client's self-esteem level as in post-test II, the score level of self-etsteem was moderate while in post-test III, the score level was high. Three categories of self-esteem symptoms were identified which are emotion, cognitive and behavior. Results also showed that CRT is effective in helping female adolescent with low self-esteem.
From a Dynamic Systems perspective, real-time processes are the building blocks for long-term development. While the long-term development of self-esteem has frequently been researched, few studies have examined the real-time processes of self-esteem. Moreover, the studies that have does so have not considered the socially-embedded nature of self-esteem, while classic studies have shown that this is an important characteristic of self-esteem. The aim of this chapter is to extend our current theoretical approach to real-time processes of self-esteem by emphasizing the role of the immediate social environment. This is formalized in the Socially Embedded Self-Esteem model, and in the specific context of adolescence and the role of parents. The model describes how real-time components of adolescents’ self-esteem and crucial parental behaviors interact across real time, and that this ongoing process results in the self-organization of Socially Embedded Self-Esteem attractors. The chapter provides an empirical illustration of such a system, and the socially embedded self-esteem attractors that can be observed. Aside from demonstrating the key points of the model, the case study also illustrates that empirically examining the Socially Embedded Self-Esteem system in real time makes it possible to examine whether group-based associations between parental behavior and adolescent self-esteem hold at the level of the individual dyad and the real-time timescale.
The research presented in the current publication focuses on teenage respondents. When working with any kind of population it is essential, for further work with the target group, to know its basic age specifics and developmental aspects. Mental development is not random, but always proceeds in certain phases and comprises a complex process of transformation. Biological, social and personality forces are viewed as the main initiators of mental development. They always work as a complex, at the same time and in mutual interaction.
The period of adolescence is usually divided into puberty and adolescence. Puberty (between 11 – 15 years) is sometimes also called early adolescence and the subsequent phase (15 – ca. 20 years) late adolescence. Although the developmental stages have their own principles, significant differences can be found between individual teenagers. Considerable changes take place during the entire period of adolescence, and relate to all levels of human existence, involving the physical, psychological, social and also spiritual levels. There is a change from the "role of a child" to the "role of an adult" which poses a significant milestone for the individual as well as for society. The process of developing an adult identity is sometimes called individuation which involves differentiation, experimentation, stabilization and gaining mental independence. Seeking out value orientation plays another important role in the self-concept of teenagers. Reaching sexual maturation in adolescent years is mainly determined by hormonal changes. Physical changes affect the self-concept in a significant way, which can result in losing the existing certainties, they demand looking for new stability. Studies of adolescent brain functions indicate changes in neural activities in terms of their efficiency improvement. Under the influence of the need for independence and emancipation, the relationships in the primary family change, the authority of the parent and of a teacher cease to be tabooed and gradually, autonomy grows. The entry into late adolescence is primarily determined biologically – by reaching full sexual maturation. In this period, peer relationships continue to expand in terms of importance. Above all, the peer group provides the adolescent with important emotional support and assurance of their own value and helps with loosening the relationship and dependence on parents. A new meaning is assigned to personal – sexual relationships. More mature development of personal identity, deepening of self-awareness or forming relationships with the outside world are all substantial features of adolescence. In the period of adolescence, the social roles transform significantly, including the professional role. The completion of adolescence is to a certain extent variable.
The primary focus in the current monograph is on research in two areas: impetuosity and risk behaviour and their relationships. Impetuosity can be considered one of the major risky personality traits. Impetuosity is a relatively stable characteristic of an adolescent. It manifests itself through imprudent, risky behaviour and conduct. Impetuosity can be seen as an inseparable part of an inclination towards seeking adventure, audacity, risk-taking, seeking excitement, even as a specific component of psychoticism. Impetuosity has its biological roots and is to a certain extent hereditary. It is a personality trait which is to some extent constant over time. It is connected with several typical characteristics, such as immediate satisfaction, self-destruction, hostility, aggression towards other people, lack of planning, irrational behaviour, malfunction of interpersonal relationships, manipulation and rejecting standards. It is closely connected with risk activities such as stealing, vandalism and also drug abuse.
Risk activities are those acts which lead to a demonstrable increase in social, psychological, health, developmental, physiological and other hazards. They involve the individual person and at the same time their surroundings and/or society as a whole. Risk behaviour includes such forms of behaviour which lead to negative impacts on the health, social or psychological life of an individual with the potential of endangering the social surroundings. This danger may be real, but also only presumed. Both the closer and the extended social surroundings where the individual lives, always also plays an important role here. Upbringing can have a negative effect on the teenager, wherein an authoritative or, in contrast, liberal upbringing can support the occurrence of risk activities.
The relevant literature provides evidence of many theoretical concepts which work with the stated types of behaviour. Various authors deal with the issue from different angles. It is quite clear that not only experts, but also institutions concern themselves with these issues. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in the Czech Republic states, for example, in the strategy of primary prevention for 2013-2018 the following basic risk activities: a) interpersonal aggressive behaviour, b) delinquent behaviour, c) truancy, d) addictive behaviour, e) hazardous sport activities, f) hazardous behaviour in transport, g) a spectrum of eating disorders, h) the negative influence of cults and, i) risky sexual behaviour.
The research presented in the publication is focused on respondents from two localities: the Zlín Region and the Moravian-Silesian Region. The regional specifics in the field of education include, among other things, the number of children and students in the region. As the numbers of students can change over the course of the school year, the official statistics as of 1 September 2016 have been used. To this date in the Zlín Region there were 19,770 children in nursery schools, 48,207 students in primary schools, 23,850 students in secondary schools (including music schools) and 833 students in higher vocational schools. To the same date in the Moravian-Silesian Region, there were 39,768 children in nursery schools, 98,757 students in primary schools, 49,992 students in secondary schools (including music schools) and 2,362 students in higher vocational schools.
The research sample for the research presented here were adolescents of primary schools and 6- or 8-year secondary schools in the Zlín and Moravian-Silesian Regions. The individual schools involved in the research were selected by random choice. After contacting the management of the selected schools, informed consent from legal representatives was obtained. All data were carried out anonymously and handled as sensitive data. In the Zlín Region, 1,020 students were tested in total (426 primary school boys, 488 primary school girls, 43 secondary school boys and 61 secondary school girls). Within the respondent sample of the region, the average age was 13.49 years in primary school boys, 13.42 years in primary school girls; concerning the secondary school sample in the Zlín Region, the average age was 13.19 in boys and 13.20 in girls. In the Moravian-Silesian Region, there were 1,398 students tested in total (626 primary school boys, 557 primary school girls, 105 secondary school boys and 109 secondary school girls). Within the respondent sample of the Moravian-Silesian Region, the average age of primary school boys was 13.31 years, the average age of primary school girls was 13.23 years; the average age of secondary school students was 13.17 years in boys and 13.18 years in girls.
The adolescents in our research sample were presented with a test battery which included two psycho-diagnostic tools – The Scale of Impetuosity by Dolejš and Skopal (SIDS) and the questionnaire The Occurrence of Risk Behaviour in Adolescents (ORBA). The first questionnaire provides information on the occurrence of impetuosity among Czech adolescents. ORBA offers information on the occurrence of a particular risk behaviour in the observed population of adolescents. Both diagnostic tools demonstrated their usefulness in practice supported by a range of other research.
Within the data analysis of the present research, four respondent groups were compared with one another, two groups of a national profile and the next two groups representing students from the Moravian-Silesian and Zlín Regions. The outcomes are presented in the form of charts, diagrams, and text in order to maximize the utilization of the presented results. The analysis provides a great amount of data. The most significant results are summarized within the conclusion.
The research has shown that in last 30 days, 24.57% of adolescents drank alcohol in the Moravian-Silesian Region; in the Zlín Region the number was higher by another 3% of adolescents performing the same activity, while for both national samples the number was 31.19%. The number of regular smokers is 2.26% in the population of adolescents in the Zlín Region and 3.94% in the population of Moravian-Silesian adolescents (exceeding both national samples). Drunkedness was experienced in the last month by fewer individuals in the Moravian-Silesian Region (2.44%) than in the Zlín Region (3.14%). More individuals were found in both the Zlín (12.38%) and the Moravian-Silesian (13.68%) Regions who were the focus of harm than there ware in the population. 21% of the adolescents had to cope with verbal aggression in both observed regions. In both groups the delinquent activities were higher; e.g. 30% had experience with stealing something. One fifth of both the Zlín and the Moravian-Silesian students had experience with vandalism and damaging other people’s property just for fun.
There is a significant rise in experience with risky activities in boys between 13 – 14 years-of-age. In girls an increase in the overall risk level can be seen as soon as between 12 – 13 years. The riskiest group seems to be boys from the Moravian-Silesian Region, while boys from the Zlín Region also exceed both national samples in overall risk level. Boys from both regions have more frequent experience with delinquent behaviour compared to the norm or replication research. The least risky group are girls attending schools in the Zlín Region. It follows from the analysis that the closest relationship is between delinquency and overall risk level and the least mutually connected is bullying and drug abuse.
There are 7.72% of those who received 70 and more points in impetuosity testing altogether in both regions. Impetuous individuals are twice as frequent the centre of harsh treatment from their classmates. In most cases these students have abundance of experience with stealing and vandalism, as well as with using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, more often and in higher frequency. It is obvious that more impetuous individuals are also to a higher extent the realizers of risk activities. The relationship between the overall risk level and impetuosity is medium-strength and statistically significant. The relationship between stealing or damaging other people’s things and impetuosity can also be seen as a significant relation.
A detailed analysis of the current situation is in our opinion an essential prerequisite for effective planning and execution of any activities within the prevention of risk behaviour at schools. Based on our findings we have articulated a series of concrete recommendations for execution of preventive activities; the research has shown the main problematic areas. Risk behaviour is always understood as a complex phenomenon with a number of intervening factors. There is a need to focus on the problematic areas, but at the same time continue to strengthen the protective factors. One should not underestimate the cooperation of all the parties involved, including the use of peer activities. With respect to the developmental tendencies, it is essential to target the prevention programs at students of an adequate age – i.e. before the actual increase in experience with risk activities. Last not least, after employing the prevention programs, their effectiveness should be evaluated as part of the prevention.
Výzkum prezentovaný v naší publikaci se zaměřuje na respondenty ve věku dospívání. Pokud pracujeme s jakoukoli populací, jsou znalosti základních věkových specifik a vývojových aspektů pro práci s cílovou skupinou naprosto nezbytné. Duševní vývoj není nahodilý, ale probíhá vždy v určitých obdobích. Představuje komplexní proces proměn. Za hlavní hybatele duševního vývoje považujeme síly biologické, sociální a osobnostní. Působí vždy komplexně, současně a ve vzájemné interakci.
Období dospívání bývá zpravidla děleno na období pubescence a adolescence. Pubescenci (s věkovým rozpětím 11 – 15 let) označujeme také jako ranou adolescenci a následnou fázi (15 – cca 20 let) jako adolescenci pozdní. Vývojová stádia mají své zákonitosti, nicméně mezi jednotlivými dospívajícími nacházíme podstatné individuální odlišnostmi. V průběhu celého období dospívání dochází k výrazným změnám, které se týkají všech úrovní lidského bytí – zahrnují úroveň tělesnou, psychickou, sociální a také spirituální. Dochází ke změně z „dětské role“ na „roli dospělého“, což představuje významný životní mezník pro individuum i společnost. Proces formování dospělé identity v době dospívání se někdy nazývá individuace, která zahrnuje diferenciaci, experimentaci, stabilizaci a psychické osamostatnění. Podstatnou úlohu v sebepojetí dospívajících hraje také hledání hodnotové orientace. Dosažení pohlavní zralosti v dospívání je podmíněno zejména hormonálními změnami. Tělesné změny významně zasahují do sebepojetí, mohou vést ke ztrátě dosavadních jistot, vynucují hledání nové stability. Výzkumy fungování mozku dospívajících dokládají změny neuronálních dějů ve smyslu zefektivnění. Pod vlivem potřeby osamostatnění a emancipace se mění vztahy v primární rodině, přestává být tabuizována autorita rodiče i učitele a postupně dochází ke zvyšování autonomie. Vstup do pozdní adolescence je určen převážně biologicky – dosažením plné pohlavní zralosti. Vrstevnické vztahy i v tomto období dále rozšiřují svůj významu. Vrstevnická skupina adolescentovi poskytuje především významnou citovou oporu, ujištění o jeho vlastní hodnotě, pomáhá v rozvolňování vztahu a závislosti na rodičích. Nový význam získávají osobní – sexuální vztahy. Podstatným rysem adolescence je vyspělejší formování osobní identity, prohloubení vědomí vlastní totožnosti či utváření vztahů k okolnímu světu. V adolescenci se podstatně proměňují sociální role včetně role profesní. Ukončení fáze adolescence je do určité míry variabilní.
V naší monografii se prioritně zaměřujeme na výzkum dvou oblastí – impulzivitu a rizikové chování a jejich vazby. Právě impulzivitu můžeme považovat za jeden z hlavních rizikových osobnostních rysů. Je relativně stálou charakteristikou adolescenta. Projevuje se prostřednictvím nerozvážného, rizikového chování a jednání. Lze ji chápat jako nedílnou součást tendencí k vyhledávání dobrodružství, troufalosti, riskování, vyhledávání vzrušení, dokonce i jako specifickou komponentu psychoticismu. Impulzivita má své biologické kořeny a je do určité míry dědičná. Jedná o osobnostní rys, který je do určité míry stálý v čase. Pojí s několika typickými charakteristikami, jako například bezprostřední uspokojení, sebedestruktivnost, hostilita, agrese vůči lidem, nedostatek plánování, bezdůvodné jednání, špatné fungování mezilidských vztahů, manipulování, odmítání norem. Úzce souvisí s rizikovými aktivitami, jako jsou krádeže, vandalizmus, ale také s užíváním drog.
Za rizikové aktivity můžeme vnímat takové akty, které vedou k prokazatelnému nárůstu rizik sociálních, psychologických, zdravotních, vývojových, fyziologických a jiných. Týkají se přitom jedince, jeho okolí a/nebo celé společnosti. Rizikové chování přitom zahrnuje takové formy chování, které vedou k negativním dopadům na zdraví, sociální nebo psychologické fungování jedince s potenciálem ohrožení sociálního okolí. Uvedené ohrožení může být reálné, ale také pouze předpokládatelné. Podstatný vliv má vždy také užší i širší sociální prostředí, ve kterém jedinec žije. Negativní vliv na dospívajícího může mít i výchova. Autoritativní nebo naopak liberální výchova může podporovat výskyt rizikových aktivit.
V literatuře existuje mnoho teoretických konceptů, které pracují s uvedenými typy chování. Jednotliví autoři pojímají danou problematiku z různých pohledů. Je jasné, že problematikou se zabývají nejen odborníci, ale také instituce. Například Ministerstvo školství a mládeže ČR ve strategii primární prevence na rok 2013–2018 uvádí tyto základní rizikové aktivity: a) interpersonální agresivní chování, b) delikventní chování, c) záškoláctví, d) závislostní chování, e) rizikové sportovní aktivity, f) rizikové chování v dopravě, g) spektrum poruch příjmu potravy, f) negativní působení sekt a h) sexuální rizikové chování.
Výzkum prezentovaný v této publikaci byl zaměřen na respondenty ze dvou lokalit – Zlínského a Moravskoslezského kraje. K charakteristikám krajů v oblasti školství patří mimo jiné také počty dětí a žáků v nich. Jelikož se počty žáků v průběhu školního roku mohou měnit, vycházíme z oficiálních statistik k 1. 9. 2016. K danému datu ve Zlínském kraji bylo v mateřských školách 19770 dětí, v základních školách 48207 žáků, ve středních školách (včetně konzervatoří) žáků 23850 a ve vyšších odborných školách 833 žáků. Ke stejnému datu v Moravsko-slezském kraji bylo v mateřských školách 39768 dětí, základních školách 98757 žáků, středních školách (včetně konzervatoří) 49992 žáků a vyšších odborných školách 2362 žáků.
Výzkumným souborem zde prezentovaného výzkumu byli adolescenti základních škol a víceletých gymnázií Zlínského a Moravskoslezského kraje. Konkrétní školy zapojené do výzkumu byly voleny náhodným výběrem. Po oslovení vedení vybraných škol byly pořízeny informované souhlasy zákonných zástupců. Veškerá data byla anonymizována a bylo s nimi zacházeno jako s citlivými daty. V rámci Zlínského kraje bylo testováno celkem 1020 žáků (426 chlapců ZŠ, 488 dívek ZŠ, 43 chlapců z gymnázií a 61 dívek z gymnázií). V rámci souboru respondentů Zlínského kraje byl průměrný věk chlapců ZŠ 13,49 let, průměrný věk dívek ZŠ byl 13,42, u žáků gymnázií Zlínského kraje činil průměrný věk u chlapců 13,19 a u dívek 13,20. V Moravskoslezském kraji bylo testováno celkem 1398 žáků (626 chlapců ZŠ, 557 dívek ZŠ, 105 chlapců z gymnázií a 109 dívek z gymnázií). V rámci souboru respondentů Moravskoslezského kraje činil průměrný věk chlapců ZŠ 13,31 let, průměrný věk dívek ZŠ činil 13,23, u žáků gymnázií činil průměrný věk 13,17 u chlapců a 13,18 u dívek.
Adolescentům našeho výzkumného souboru byla předložena testová baterie, která obsahovala dva psychodiagnostické nástroje – Škála impulzivity Dolejše a Skopala (SIDS) a dotazník Výskyt rizikového chování u adolescentů (VRCHA). První dotazník poskytuje informace o míře výskytu impulzivity u českých adolescentů. VRCHA přináší informace o výskytu určitého rizikového chování u sledované populace adolescentů. Oba diagnostické nástroje prokázaly užitečnost v praxi, což dokládá řada jiných výzkumů.
V rámci analýzy dat našeho výzkumu vzájemně porovnáváme čtyři skupiny respondentů – dvě skupiny celorepublikové charakteru a další dvě přestavují žáky a žákyně z Moravskoslezského a Zlínského kraje. Výstupy uvádíme v podobě tabulek, grafů i textu, abychom maximálně zvýšili výtěžnost prezentovaných výstupů. Naše analýza poskytuje velké množství dat, v rámci závěru shrnujeme to nejpodstatnější.
Výzkumné šetření ukázalo, že za posledních 30 dní pilo alkohol 24,57 % adolescentů Moravskoslezského kraje, o 3 % více adolescentů tuto aktivitu realizovalo ve Zlínském kraji, přičemž pro oba národní vzorky je naměřeno 31,19 %. Denních kuřáků je v populaci zlínských adolescentů 2,26 % a v populaci moravskoslezských jich je 3,94 % (překračují oba národní soubory). Stav opilost během posledního měsíce zažilo méně jedinců z Moravskoslezského kraje (2,44 %) než ze Zlínského kraje (3,14 %). Jak ve Zlínském (12,38 %), tak i v Moravskoslezském kraji (13,68 %) se nachází více těch, kteří byli středem ubližování, než je tomu v populaci. Verbální agresi musí snášet 21 % adolescentů, a to v obou sledovaných krajích. Delikventní aktivity jsou v obou skupinách vyšší, například 30 % má zkušenosti s krádežemi nějaké věci. Jedna pětina jak zlínských, tak i moravskoslezských studentů má zkušenosti s vandalizmem a poškozováním cizích věcí jen tak pro zábavu.
K významnému nárůstu zkušeností s rizikovými aktivitami dochází u chlapců ve věku mezi 13. a 14. rokem. U dívek lze nárůst celkové rizikovosti pozorovat již mezi 12. a 13. rokem. Nejrizikověji se jeví chlapci z Moravskoslezského kraje, přičemž i zlínští překračují v celkové rizikovosti oba celorepublikové soubory. Častější zkušenosti s delikventním chováním oproti normovému či replikačnímu výzkumu mají chlapci v obou krajích. Nejméně rizikové jsou dívky docházející do škol ve Zlínském kraji. Z analýzy vyplývá, že nejtěsnější vztah má delikvence k celkové rizikovosti a nejméně jsou vzájemně propojené šikana a abúzus.
Celkově je v obou krajích 7,72 % těch, kteří získali 70 a více bodů v testování impulzivity. Impulzivní jedinci jsou dvakrát častěji středem hrubého zacházení od spolužáků. Tito žáci mají většinou mnoho zkušeností s krádežemi a vandalizmem, jakož i významně, častěji a ve vyšší frekvenci holdují alkoholu, tabáku či dalších drogám. Je zřejmé, že impulzivnější jedinci jsou ve vyšší míře i realizátoři rizikových aktivit. Vztah celkové rizikovosti a impulzivity je přitom středně silný a statisticky významný. Jako významný můžeme vnímat především vztah krádeží nebo poškozování cizího majetku s impulzivitou.
Podrobná analýza stavu je dle našeho názoru základním předpokladem pro efektivní plánování a realizaci jakýchkoli aktivit v rámci prevence rizikového chování ve školách. Z našich zjištění vychází také formulace řady konkrétních doporučení pro realizaci preventivních aktivit, výzkum ukázal hlavní problémové oblasti. Rizikové chování je třeba vždy chápat jako komplexní jev s řadou vstupujících faktorů. Je potřeba zaměřit se na problémové oblasti, ale zároveň také posilovat protektivní faktory. Není možné podcenit spolupráci všech zapojených stran, včetně využití peer-aktivit. Vzhledem k vývojovým tendencím je nezbytné zaměřit preventivní programy na žáky adekvátního věku – tedy před elevací zkušenosti s rizikovými aktivitami. Součástí prevence by pak měla být také evaluace účinnosti po aplikaci preventivních programů.
Cluster analysis on detailed federal outlay data from fiscal year (FY) 1962 to FY 1995 shows instead of being incremental or not, the budget is both. Spending is initially volatile but becomes incremental over time and with political entrenchment. The theory of incrementalism needs to be updated to reflect this complexity. Also, patterns show that most spending falls into three main groups, which do not correspond to traditional budgetary classifications, and none of the patterns show any major shifts in response to process upheaval. This suggests (1) rethinking how to analyze budget data, and (2) while processes and decision-makers have changed, the decisions have not.
When recalling experiences of difficulty in school, many people produce frightening tales of mathematical problems involving two trains simultaneously leaving two different stations, or continual rewrites of essays labeled ‘awkward’ or ‘weak.’ Such stories frequently end with the comment: ‘I am completely stupid at that subject.’
Global self-esteem is seen as a key variable for human development across the life span. Low self-esteem or self-esteem losses during adolescence may be the point of departure for different maladaptive pathways such as depression and delinquency. The long-term effects of juvenile self-esteem on adaptation versus maladjustment in adulthood, however, have rarely been analyzed. In the present study based on ten biographical interviews, self-esteem development during adolescence is related to career success, substance use, satisfaction with one’s development and optimism with regard to the future. The findings point in the direction that indeed consistently low self-esteem during adolescence corresponds to less successful adaptation in adulthood. Consistently high self-esteem, however, does not guarantee successful adaptation. The reason may be that consistently high self-esteem, particularly if exhibited during adolescence, gets close to self-illusions and/or is based on those domains and experiences which lack relevance for successful adaptation according to normative standards.
This chapter contains a plea for rediscovery of the individual in research on global self-esteem. This construct, being central in many domains of human development, has many facets which deserve closer inspection. Examples are individually different self-esteem trajectories, the changing meaning of self-esteem across the individual life-span and across cohorts, as well as the situation-dependency and short-term variability of self-esteem. With this in mind, the chapter addresses the question of whether the concept of normative self-esteem development across the life-span embraces this complexity. Using an empirical example for self-esteem development in adolescence, it is demonstrated that the immense intraindividual and interindividual variability of self-esteem clearly dwarfs normative aspects of this construct.
This study examined the independent and combined influence of demographic variables (gender and ethnicity) and contextual variables (perceived family and friend support, and school climate) on changes in psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptoms) over a 2-year period. The sample included 100 Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents from low-income families. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the increase over time in reported levels of self-esteem was significantly greater for those who reported more positive perceptions of school climate at Time 1. Unexpectedly, the increase in self-esteem and the decrease in depressive symptoms over time were also significantly greater for those who reported lower family support at Time 1. Post hoc analyses were conducted to better understand the patterns detected. Findings underscore the importance of positive school experiences for students' psychological well-being and the need to examine the meaning of family support.
Feminist psychologists do not often include Jewish representation when they discuss issues of difference and diversity. Jewish female adolescents have not been included in the current research on teen-age girls and voice. The author finds that Jewish female adolescents do experience themselves as different from the majority culture. This difference is associated with respondents emerging from early adolescence while maintaining relational competence.
The significance of emotional social support in the lives of children and adoles cents with cancer is now being recognized as a significant determinant in their psychosocial response to the experience of cancer and treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify whom adolescents perceived as providing emotional support and how helpful these individuals were in helping them cope through the experience of cancer. Forty-five adolescents with cancer responded to the following open-ended questions regarding their perceived emotional social support: "Who or what are your primary sources of emotional support?" "How helpful are these resources to you in dealing with your experiences with cancer?" Descriptive analyses of participants' responses indicated that the adolescents' mothers and their friends were the two most often cited sources of emotional support. In addition, while responses varied among adolescents, they described their identified sources of emotional support to be very helpful to them as they lived through the experience of cancer. These findings support past research that has determined that adolescents' social support systems extend beyond the family, but that mothers continue to have a significant, meaningful role in the lives of adolescents with cancer.
It has been observed that young people seek peer assistance before approaching adult counsellors for help. A program where older students were trained to provide “helping friend” support for others was developed. Senior students received skills training in basic counselling, adolescent coping, conflict resolution, and group facilitation. The program was designed to tap into the natural helping behaviours of adolescents, the resourcefulness adolescents display in providing support for each other, and the influence which the peer group has during adolescence. This paper describes the process taken in program development and implementation. This included a review of research into adolescent concerns, resources they access, and factors which contribute to coping, personal effectiveness and resiliency. An evaluation of the specific needs of the school community is also outlined.
The purpose of this study was to explore the use of bibliotherapy or therapeutic experience of reading young adult literature among a group of young adults in developing their self-esteem. Participants consisted of six undergraduate students pursuing a degree in a Malaysian higher education institution. The phenomenological method was employed to explore the participants' reading of young adult literature. These participants read young adult literature, and shared their thoughts, feelings and experiences on the reading phenomenon through dialogue journals. Data triangulation was carried out by analyzing and comparing findings from observations made by two informants, researcher's field notes, in-depth pre-and-post interviews. The study discovered that the undergraduates are aware of the importance of self-esteem and how their personal struggles have affected their level of self-esteem. Some of their challenges include identity crisis, lack of self-confidence and poor family relationship. The reading process has contributed to the success of developing self-esteem among the participants. Reading young adult literature has helped the participants to experience a new level of self-confidence, gain new understanding of self, feel less different, and inspired them to grow positively. Five reading characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of reading young adult literature for self-esteem emerged. The five types of reading characteristics include intentional, relational, reflective, transporting and pleasure. The findings of this study suggest that literature can be a catalyst for personal development for young adults in the Malaysian educational institutions.
Mental Health issues among female adolescents are an area of concern for medical and behavioral sciences. The present study was conducted on a sample of 170 female adolescents. BDI - II was administered to assess the depression level, for assessing the personal variables of self-acceptance, relationships, achievement orientation, and fair treatment personal meaning questionnaire was used. After analyzing the data statistically, it has been observed in the findings that relationships and self acceptance have potential relationship with the depression level and reveals the correlation of (-.19*), (-26*) respectively. Achievement orientation and fair treatment also affect the level of depression in female adolescents revealing the correlations of (.19*), (-.31**) respectively.
Change and stability in competence and self-esteem of fifth- and sixth-grade boys and girls were examined across a 1-year period, in which approximately one half of the children made the transition from elementary to secondary school (transition groups) and the other half continued in the same school (nontransition groups). Beginning at the end of the school year before transition, the Perceived Competence Scale for Children and the Teacher's Rating Scale of Child's Actual Competence were administered at 6-mo intervals. There was no notable transition effect either early or late in the new school year. Overall, children's perceived competence increased and was stable across the 1-year period. Teacher ratings also reflected competence gains for children in nontransition groups; but for children in transition groups they were substantially lower in secondary than in elementary school. The results indicate that entry into secondary school represents significant change from elementary school, but that most children negotiate the transition without undue difficulty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Summarizes several studies on self-esteem between 13 and 23 yrs of age, as well as results from the Monitoring the Future project (MFP) to show that global self-esteem, as measured by scales like the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, increases over that age span. The MFP consists of annual questionnaire surveys of 15,000–29,000 high school seniors and some follow-up questionnaires after graduation. Using MFP data from the classes of 1976 through 1979, results support an increase in self-esteem with age. In spite of the considerable increase in mean levels, there is also considerable stability of self-esteem. Using both single- and multiple-indicator models with correlated errors, the stabilities of self-esteem are shown to be fairly high. Annual stabilities are estimated to be between .6 and .9, depending on the model and on the definition of stability. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This research challenges the traditional conception of adolescence as a time of stress and instability in self-concept. Using multiple measures of self-concept with a longitudinal sample, three components of self-concept are distinguished: the experienced self, the presented self, and self-feelings. Feelings about the self are relatively stable from moment to moment and from year to year. There are apparently three routes through the adolescent years: stable, baseline, and oscillating. For most study participants, level of self-esteem increased gradually and only slightly from 7th to 10th grade. This study is unique because of its methodology (longitudinal and multiple measures) and its counter-traditional characterization of adolescence.
A 42-lesson social problem-solving (SPS) train&g program was conducted for 563 suburban and urban second-fourth graders. The study addressed three questions: (a) Does training enhance SPS skills? (b) Does it improve behavioral adjustment? and (c) Are problem-solving and adjustive gains related? Program children improved more than controls in (a) offering solutions to hypothetical problem situations, (b) independently attempting to resolve a simulated behavioral peer conflict, and (c) expressing confidence about handling interpersonal difficulties. Teacher adjustment ratings suggested that trained, relative to nontrained youngsters, improved on several competence and problem behaviors. No relationships were found between SPS skill and adjustment gains. Although the findings suggest that SPS training is a bona fide primary prevention competence-building approach, SPS and adjustment assessment procedures must be strengthened to identify the specific training components that enhance social adaptation.
Although a gradual evolution in the conceptualization and measurement of socioenvironmental factors in life stress research is evident, a parallel development in the refinement of notions of human disorder has not occurred. This lack of attention to the variable being predicted may be partly responsible for the frequently reported low association between life stress and disorder. Therefore, current concepts and measures of disorder are examined with a historical perspective. It is suggested that the present trend toward nonspecific treatment of disorder provides very limited principles of stress-disorder interaction. Moreover, this approach fails to recognize the effect on this interaction of a heterogeneous array of chronic conditions that exist in nonspecifically indexed disordered groups. The composition of the chronically disordered group and the implications of its existence for initiation and maintenance models of stress-disorder interaction are discussed. We conclude with an analysis of the implications of our entire discussion for design and assessment issues in life stress research.
The present study investigated how social networks were linked to symptomatology and self-esteem among three groups of high-risk and normal adolescents: 16 adolescent children of a depressed parent, 16 adolescent children of a parent with rheumatoid arthritis, and 16 adolescent children of parents free from psychological or physical disorder. Although there were few between-group differences in mean levels of network variables, there were striking between-group differences in the pattern of associations between network variables and mental health. For adolescent children of a depressed or arthritic parent, more social support for problematic situations, stronger friendships, and more parent-peer linkages were related to much poorer adjustment. For adolescent children of disorder-free parents, these same network variables were related to much healthier adjustment. The discussion considers how developmental, psychodynamic, and social-structural factors may interact to affect well-being.
Developmental change can be reflected both in terms of periods of instability of individual differences and/or discontinuities in the nature of the behavior (i. e., developmental function) across age. The current study describes the developmental function and cross-age pattern of individual differences in mental test behavior during the first 5 years of life. However, in contrast to previous efforts, our emphasis was on locating and describing developmental change and transition, not continuity and stability. The subjects from the Berkeley Growth Study had been given the California First Year and California Preschool Scales (precursors of the contemporary Bayley test) every month from 1 to 15 months, every 3 months thereafter until 30 months, and then every 6 months until 5 years of age. The individual items were subjected to a principal components analysis separately for each testing, and the resulting component scores were correlated across age. Changes in both the composition of the first principal components (i. e., developmental function) and the stability of individual differences occurred at approximately 2, 8, 13, 21, and 30-36 months. These simultaneous discontinuities in developmental function and relative instability of individual differences inspired a stage conceptualization of mental development that was similar to proposals made by Piaget and Uzgiris. Specifically, we suggest that the infant in Stage I (0-2 months) is primarily responsive to selected stimulus dimensions that match the structural dispositions of the sensory-perceptual systems. Exploration of the environment is more active in Stage II (3-7 months), but the infant's view of the world is completely subjective until Stage III (8-13 months) when means begin to be differentiated from ends. This separation is complete by Stage IV (14-18 months), permitting the infant to associate two environmental entities without acting on either one. Symbolic relationships emerge during Stage V (21 + months).
A 39-item life-event questionnaire was administered to 1,018 adolescents, who indicated the perceived desirability of each event and whether the event had actually happened to them either during the past year or more than one year earlier. A multidimensional scaling revealed seven interpretable dimensions of stress: Family/Parents, Accident/Illness, Sexuality, Autonomy, Deviance, Relocation, and Distress. Each dimension was scored for desirability, and occurrence was summed using unit weighting. Sex, race, and grade-level differences were evaluated for each item and scale score. The scales calculated for the two different time periods revealed that stress is correlated over time only for corresponding areas. Finally, the stress scales were related to measures of health and psychological functioning through canonical and product-moment correlation analyses; distinct patterns of association were revealed. Alternative methods of scoring life events are evaluated.
This is a collection of articles about student attitudes toward schools. Articles include: (1) a foreward by Philip W. Jackson; (2) "Patterns of Classroom Participation, Student Attitudes, and Achievements," and "Developing a Research Agenda on the Quality of School Life(QSL)," by Joyce L. Epstein; (3) "QSL School Problem Behavior, and Juvenile Delinquency," by William Wright and Carl F. Jesness; (4) "Attitudes, Values, and Motives of Classroom Facilitators and Inhibitors," by William J. Gnagey; (5) "Evaluating and Changing Classroom Settings," by Rudolf H. Moos and Thomas G. David; (6) "Choice Schemes and the QSL in West German Comprehensive Schools," by Hansjorg Scheerer; (7) "Home and School Factors and QSL in Canadian High Schools," by Geoffrey B. Isherwood and Clement K. Hammah; (8) "School Life: A Student Perspective" and "School Life: A Conceptual Model," by Geoffrey B. Isherwood and Janice A. Ahola; (9) "Development and Validation of the Israeli QSL Scale" and "Pupils' Perceptions of the Quality of Life in Advantaged and Disadvantaged Israeli Schools," by Efraim Darom and Uisrael Rich; (10) "Project PASS: Pupils' Alternative Secondary Strategies," by Douglas A. Penfield; (11) "Strategy for Improving School Programs: Affective Measures," by Jo Ann Krueger; and (12) "System-wide Educational Evaluation," by Robert W. Cross. (APM)
The Quality of School Life (QSL) is defined by three dimensions of student reactions: (1) satisfaction with school in general, (2) commitment to school work, and (3) attitudes toward teachers. A 27-item QSL scale is presented that shows reliability and validity across educational levels (elementary, middle and high school) based on 4,266 student survey responses. Concurrent and discriminative validity is demonstrated using measures of academic achievement, participation, personality, family background, and sociometric data from peers and teachers. Scaling techniques, factor analysis, and an extension of Sechrest’s test for incremental validity document the multi-dimensional design of the scale.
Presents longitudinal evidence from 3 age cohorts (Grades 7–8, 9–10, and 11–12) in 13 private and parochial schools that demonstrates systematic increases in self-esteem as Ss grow older. Three potential artifactual reasons for these results are assessed: (a) S attrition, (b) the effects of testing, and (c) carelessness of Ss. None of these are found to be responsible for the pattern of results. Several possible explanations for rising self-esteem during adolescence are discussed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Presents an expanded and updated volume reflecting 2 decades of new research on stress. The author explains how to overcome the harmful effects of stress and use stress to one's own advantage, and he explores the biochemical and environmental facets of stress and the effects of stress on interpersonal relations. 22 pages of annotated references are appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
TWO samples representing rural (N = 390) and city (N =454) children were tested before and after transferring to secondary school in an attempt to determine the nature of individual reactions to school transfer. Measures used included ability, achievement, attitude to school, and personality. Cluster analysis applied independently to these two samples identified six subgroups showing different patterns of adjustment. Two of these reactions were considered particularly important. One, labelled disenchanted, characterised able children showing poor adjustment and academic deterioration. The other, described as worried, associated low ability with high anxiety, and poor self-concept. Since the six reactions were replicated across both samples it is suggested that they comprise widely occurring reactions to school transfer.
The aim of this investigation was to determine the impact of the timing and number of school transitions on young adolescents' subsequent adjustment. Three groups of adolescents (total N = 253) were compared: those making a single early school transition prior to sixth grade, those making a single later transition prior to seventh grade, and those making a double transition prior to both sixth and seventh grades. Adjustment was assessed in terms of course grades and self-image. Negative effects were found for both early and repeated school transitions, with the double transition being especially debilitating. In addition, effects were seen primarily with course grades. Few gender differences were observed in the response to early and double transitions, but those that emerged suggest that girls may be more adversely affected than boys.
Of nine areas of adolescent self-image, five change positively, two remain stable, and two decline during the early adolescent years.
Perhaps the main significance of this work was in its methodological contributions. Most noteworthy were its attempts to expand network analysis beyond the examination of supportive functions, the use of a more objective measure of social support, and the use of a multivariate hierarchical strategy of analysis.
This study obtained correlations between social network variables and social competence indices that were highly suggestive. However, it is important to keep in mind that the sample under investigation was fairly small and relatively homogeneous with respect to ethnicity, social class, and even values. Whether the exact nature of these relationships will generalize to different samples remains an empirical question. In fact, one would suppose that some of the results would be quite different for a population that does not highly value school. Further research, ideally longitudinal in nature, is sorely needed to address some of the issues raised by this study, both in terms of the social support/network literature and the possibly changing characteristics of minority children and their social environments as they move from preadolescence to adolescence.
The relationship between cumulative or single school transfers and a student''s academic adjustment was explored. The school records of 250 high school students were examined and school transfers due to either residential mobility or the normative school change from eighth to ninth grade were identified. Correlations between the cumulative number of school transfers in a student''s history and their ninth-grade academic performance and attendance record were computed for both ethnic and sex subgroups. Analyses of variance for repeated measures were performed to assess the impact of any single school transition occurring at different points in the child''s development. Correlational analyses indicated that high rates of school mobility were significantly related to poor academic performance, particularly for black and Hispanic students. Analyses of variance revealed that while no single school transition due to residential mobility in Grades 1 through 8 had a significant impact on the student''s posttransfer adjustment, the normative transition to high school was significantly related to lowered school performance and increased absences, particularly for students with a history of repeated school transfers and for black students.
There are few topics so fascinating both to the research investigator and the research subject as the self-image. It is distinctively characteristic of the human animal that he is able to stand outside himself and to describe, judge, and evaluate the person he is. He is at once the observer and the observed, the judge and the judged, the evaluator and the evaluated. Since the self is probably the most important thing in the world to him, the question of what he is like and how he feels about himself engrosses him deeply. This is especially true during the adolescent stage of development.
This research examined the psychological well-being of 159 white and black students during the transition to junior high school. Adjustment patterns were found to be complex and highly differentiated. Self-esteem was unchanged from the end of sixth through the middle of seventh grades, rising by the end of seventh grade. Girls reported an increase in depressive and other symptoms over time relative to boys. Perceived quality of school life plunged. Peer social support increased only for blacks of high academic competence. Although there were no race differences on overall self-esteem, multivariate analyses of symptom data revealed that blacks reported greater distrust of the environment than they reported negative internal states, whereas whites reported the opposite pattern. The discussion emphasizes the developmental and ecological context of the transition.
Examined the joint effects of having a parent with a psychological or physical disability and stressful life events on the mental health of 3 groups of adolescents: 16 adolescent children of a depressed parent, 16 adolescent children of a parent with rheumatoid arthritis, and 16 adolescent children of parents free from psychological or physical disability. Ss were asked to complete a battery of assessments, including the SCL-90, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Family Environment Scale, and scales assessing life events and satisfaction with school. It was found that, in contrast to the normal group, Ss with arthritic parents reported lower self-esteem, whereas Ss with depressed parents reported lower self-esteem and more symptomatology. However, the 2 risk groups did not differ in terms of mental health or family and school adjustment. Both negative and positive life events were strongly related to poorer adjustment, but only for Ss with depressed and arthritic parents. There was a significant interaction effect of parental disability (depressed vs normal) and negative life events on symptomatology, with the Ss with depressed parents who experienced few negative life events reporting symptom levels equivalent to that of the normal group. Within-group analyses revealed that a positive familial social climate was related to better adjustment among all 3 groups: satisfactory school involvements were related to better adjustment among the depressed-parent and normal groups. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The study of self-concept development during the adolescent years has been plagued by the failure of researchers to assess both continuity/discontinuity and stability/instability. As a result, the stereotype of adolescence as a time of "storm and stress" and significant change in self-concept has prospered. The current study was undertaken to provide data pertinent to these two aspects of development. A 3-year longitudinal study was conducted with students in grades 5-12. The initial sample was retested each year, and a new sample of subjects was added in each grade level each year. The instrument was a semantic differential scale composed of 21 bipolar adjective pairs separated by a seven-point scale. The concept rated was "my characteristic self." Factor analyses of the data for the three cross-sectional samples, for each sex, and for the longitudinal sample each revealed four factors: adjustment, achievement/leadership, congeniality/sociability, and masculinity/femininity. Analyses of factor scores revealed sex differences consistent with sex-role stereotypes. The analyses of grade level differences in self-concept, however, did not replicate across the three cross-sectional samples, casting doubt on the value of cross-sectional data for describing adolescent development. The longitudinal analyses indicated that adolescent self-concept developed in a continuous and stable way. Other analyses indicated that the results were not contaminated by retesting, subject attrition, cohort, or time of measurement effects. The results of the study are discussed within the context of conceptualizations of adolescence. It is concluded that they do not support discontinuity views of adolescence. Rather, adolescent self-concept is a result of continual and gradual growth based not only on social circumstances, but also on emergent cognitive competencies and skills. Implications for further research are also discussed.
The Brief Symptom Inventory (BS1): Administration, Scor-ing and Procedules Manual-1. Division of Medical Psychology
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Derogatis, L., and Spencer, P. (1982). The Brief Symptom Inventory (BS1): Administration, Scor-ing and Procedules Manual-1. Division of Medical Psychology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Handbook of Adolescent Psychology The contribution of supportive friendships to adjustment after the transition to junior high school Lives through Time
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Adelson, J. (ed.). (1980). Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. Wiley, New York. Berndt, T., and Hawkins, J. (1988). The contribution of supportive friendships to adjustment after the transition to junior high school. Unpublished manuscript, Purdue University. Block, J. (1971). Lives through Time. Bancroft, Berkeley, CA.
Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (Form S): Technical bulletin no
- Ctb Mcgraw-Hill
CTB/McGraw-Hill (1974). Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (Form S): Technical bulletin no. 1, Author, Monterey, CA.
The contribution of supportive friendships to adjustment after the transition to junior high school
- T Berndt
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Perspectives on adolescence from longitudinal research
- N Livson
- H Peskin
- N. Livson
From Teenage to Young Manhood
- D Offer
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Six reactions to school transfer
- M B Yougman
- M. B. Yougman