Longitudinal associations among basic psychological need satisfaction at school, self-esteem, and suicidal ideation from middle childhood to early adolescence: Disentangling between‑ and within‑person associations

INTRODUCTION

The current study aimed to examine the longitudinal associations among basic psychological need satisfaction at school (BPNSS), self-esteem, and suicidal ideation (SI), including whether self-esteem functioned as a mediator of the relations between BPNSS and SI at the within-person level after disentangling between- and within-person associations encompassing middle childhood to early adolescence.

METHODS

A total of 650 Chinese students (53.54% boys, Mage = 9.95, SD = 0.75 at Time 1) completed measures on four occasions across 1.5 years, using 6-month intervals. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were applied to disaggregate between- and within-person effects, thus providing greater confidence in elucidating the causal relations among study variables.

RESULTS

The results showed that at the within-person level: (a) BPNSS negatively predicted SI; (b) BPNSS positively predicted self-esteem; (c) Self-esteem negatively predicted SI; and (d) BPNSS indirectly predicted SI via self-esteem.

CONCLUSION

These findings advanced the literature by demonstrating longitudinal associations among BPNSS, self-esteem, and SI at the within-person level, and highlighting the significance of distinguishing between- and within-person effects in developing prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing SI over time from middle childhood to early adolescence.

Global and domain-specific self-esteem from middle childhood to early adolescence: Co-developmental trajectories and directional relations

OBJECTIVE

The study used both person-centered (i.e., parallel process latent class growth modeling) and variable-centered (i.e., random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling) approaches to examine developmental changes in global and domain-specific self-esteem from middle childhood to early adolescence.

METHOD

A total of 715 Chinese youth participated (54.3% boys; 45.7% girls; Mage = 9.96; SD = 0.51) in a 6-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals.

RESULTS

Parallel process latent class growth modeling identified three co-developmental trajectories of global and domain-specific self-esteem: Congruent high increasing and then flattening global and domain-specific self-esteem, congruent moderate domain-specific self-esteem with convex global self-esteem, and congruent low with concave appearance and global self-esteem. Results from random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling found reciprocal within-person associations between academic self-esteem and global self-esteem; global self-esteem significantly predicted social self-esteem, while physical appearance self-esteem significantly predicted global self-esteem.

CONCLUSION

Evidence was provided for top-down and bottom-up effects of self-esteem among Chinese youth. The findings provided new insight into the development of self-esteem in youth.

Self-esteem development during the transition to work: A 14-year longitudinal study from adolescence to young adulthood

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies examined the trajectory of self-esteem during critical developmental periods and over the life-span. However, little is known about how self-esteem changes during the school-to-work transition.

METHOD

We examined the effect of beginning a job for the first time on self-esteem development, using data from 368 adolescents assessed up to six times across a 14-year time span. Specifically, we analyzed the pattern of self-esteem change during the transition to work and whether the self-esteem trajectory varied as a function of several school- and job-related variables, while controlling for important covariates.

RESULTS

Results revealed linear increases in self-esteem across the 14-year study period, with partial support that the rate of increase slowed slightly after the school-to-work transition. We found significantly greater variability in the slopes after the transition, supporting the idea that people differ in the way they cope with the developmental tasks associated with important life transitions. We also found evidence for an interaction between college graduation and educational expectations, such that the positive effect of college graduation on self-esteem change was stronger for those who graduated with low (vs. high) educational expectations.

CONCLUSION

School-to-work transition has an effect on self-esteem development. Developmental processes of findings were discussed.

Developmental stability of scholastic, social, athletic, and physical appearance self-concepts from preschool to early adulthood

BACKGROUND

Self-concept has meaningful relations with psychological functioning and well-being across the life span. Hence, it is important to understand how and when individual differences in multiple domains of self-concept begin to stabilize and whether individual differences remain stable throughout childhood and adolescence and into early adulthood.

METHODS

We assessed individuals' (N = 372) scholastic, social, athletic, and physical appearance self-concepts at five waves over 20 years from age 4 to age 24.

RESULTS

In general, stability was large, but medium-sized estimates were obtained for some domains over longer (e.g., 6-year) intervals. Indirect effects from preschool to early adulthood were small, but from age 14 to 24 were medium to large. Stabilities maintained significance independent of family socioeconomic status and global self-worth. Stability estimates were similar for boys and girls except over adolescence for scholastic self-concept, which was more stable for girls than boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple domains of self-concept constitute stable individual-difference characteristics, independent of global feelings of self-worth. Individuals who have high or low self-concepts early in development tend to maintain their relative standing into early adulthood suggesting points of intervention.

Bullied Adolescent's Life Satisfaction: Personal Competencies and School Climate as Protective Factors

Although adolescence has been defined as a stage of vulnerability, due to the biopsychosocial changes that happen throughout this developmental stage, it is also one of growth. Some of the core personal competencies that have been identified to promote positive development at this stage while simultaneously preventing risks are: (1) a positive sense of self, (2) self-regulation, (3) decision-making skills, (4) a moral system of belief, and (5) prosocial connectedness. There are many factors and contexts that influence adolescent development. The school climate, for example, has the capacity to promote positive development and life satisfaction, yet on the other hand, it is a context within which different forms of violence, such as bullying, can occur. The principal aim of this study, therefore, is to analyze the influence that bullying has on one's life satisfaction, while taking into account participants' socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., gender and developmental stage), their core personal competencies (i.e., problem solving strategies, empathy, emotional repair, self-esteem, and values), and the school climate. To obtain data, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with a sample of 647 Spanish students (53.3% female), ranging in age from preadolescence (10-13 years old; 60.3%) to mid-adolescence (14-18 years old; 39.7%), and belonging to diverse socio-economic contexts (15.3% rural) and schools (32.1% public). After gaining informed consent from both the participants and their parents, students completed the survey voluntarily, and under anonymity. Initially results show that gender, developmental stage, and having been bullied were predictors of participants' levels of life satisfaction. When the core personal competencies were also considered in data analysis process, self-esteem, emotional repair, and social values were those demonstrating significant effects on one's life satisfaction; moreover, being bullied was a significant predictor too. Finally, after taking school climate into account, only this variable as well as self-esteem and emotional repair were significant predictors of life satisfaction: the other assessed variables were no longer found to be significant predictors (i.e., gender, developmental stage, being bullied, and social values). These results have important implications for education objectives, methodologies, and school functioning: school climate, self-esteem and emotional repair seem to be particularly important for promoting student life satisfaction and for preventing the negative consequences associated with being bullied.

Multidimensional scale of self-esteem (EMES-16): Psychometric evaluation of a domain-specific measure of self-esteem for French-speaking adolescents

The EMES-16 is a very short multidimensional measure of domain-specific Self-Esteem designed for French-speaking adolescents. This study presents a psychometric evaluation of this measure among 2603 adolescents with a focus on its factor structure tested in CFA for alternative, theoretically grounded models. Results revealed the superiority of a domain-specific, and partly hierarchical structure, over unidimensional or fully hierarchical structures. This structure supports the derivation of five domain-specific scores (Emotional, Social, Physical, Academic and Creative Self-Esteem) as well as a superordinate composite index (Core Self-Evaluation) underlying the Emotional, Social and Physical Self-Esteem. Measurement invariance testing supported partial equivalence of the construct measured by the EMES-16 across gender and strict equivalence by age groups. Construct validity evaluation suggested strong evidence of EMES-16’s scores convergent and divergent validity with measures of unidimensional Self-Esteem, Self-Concept Clarity, Big Five Personality and Social Desirability. Internal consistency was also satisfactory given the concision of the EMES-16 scales. In conclusion, we discuss the promise of the EMES-16 as a psychometrically solid measure for screening and developmental research purposes among French-speaking adolescents.

Perceived parental guan and school adjustment among Chinese early adolescents: The moderating role of interdependent self-construal

INTRODUCTION

Previous research suggests that supportive parenting is positively related to adolescents' academic and psychological functioning. However, most extant research has focused on parenting styles observed in Western countries, whereas less is known about the role of culturally specific parenting dimensions in Eastern countries such as China. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between parental guan and school adjustment in Mainland Chinese early adolescents, postulating moderation by interdependent self-construal (ISC).

METHODS

Participants were 148 early adolescents (48.6% girls) aged between 10 and 13 years, who completed a questionnaire survey. Teachers rated their students' school-related social competence, while academic grades were obtained from school records.

RESULTS

Linear regression models controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status showed that maternal guan was positively associated with social competence. Furthermore, ISC moderated the link between maternal guan and school adjustment. Specifically, high levels of ISC were found to enhance the positive relation between perceived maternal guan and both social competence and academic performance. However, no significant associations were found for paternal guan.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings extend prior research by documenting the positive role of guan parenting style and ISC in early adolescents' school adjustment, and underscore the centrality of mothers in the childrearing process within Chinese families.

Responses to positive affect, life satisfaction and self-esteem: A cross-lagged panel analysis during middle adolescence

During middle adolescence, elevated stress and a greater presence of psychological disorders have been documented. The research has paid little attention to the regulation of positive affective states. Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory suggests that cultivating positive emotions helps to build resources that boost well-being. The current research aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination, and dampening) and psychological adjustment (self-esteem and life satisfaction) during middle adolescence. A longitudinal study with two waves separated by one year was conducted, assessing 977 adolescents (M = 13.81, SD = 0.79; 51.5% boys) with self-report measures. A cross-lagged panel analysis was performed by including within the same model the relationships between all of the variables in the two assessment points. The results indicated cross-lagged positive relationships of self-focused positive rumination with both self-esteem and life satisfaction, while dampening showed a negative cross-lagged relationship with self-esteem. Moreover, higher self-esteem predicted more emotion-focused positive rumination, and more dampening predicted lower life satisfaction. Thus, the use of adaptive responses to positive affect and a better psychological adjustment were found to be prospectively interrelated at the one-year follow-up during middle adolescence. The discussion argues for the need to implement programmes to promote more adaptive responses to positive affect to enhance psychological adjustment in the adolescent transition to adulthood.

Introduction to the special section on self-esteem and personality across the lifespan

We provide an overview of the themes covered and discuss some of the insights gained in the special section of the International Journal of Behavioral Development (IJBD) devoted to the topic “Self-esteem and personality across the lifespan: Antecedents of development and change.”