Structure of the self-concept from adolescence through old age

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The self-concept's structure and its stability across the lifespan are crucial for understanding psychological development.
• Previous research has explored various aspects of self-concept, but its continuity over a broad age range requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the continuity of the connotative structure of the self-concept throughout a significant portion of the human lifespan (ages 9-89 years).
• To identify age and sex differences in the components of the self-concept.

Main Methods:

• Factor analysis was employed to analyze data from a semantic differential instrument.
• The study included a wide age range, from 9 to 89 years.

Main Results:

• The connotative structure of the self-concept was found to be essentially constant across the examined lifespan.
• Significant differences in scores were observed based on age and sex.
• These differences were noted across four key components: Achievement/Leadership, Congeniality/Sociability, Adjustment, and Masculinity-Femininity.

Conclusions:

• The core structure of the self-concept remains stable over a prolonged period of life.
• While the structure is constant, specific self-perceptions vary significantly with age and gender.
• These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of self-concept development and its modulations.