Perceived competence and self-worth during adolescence: a longitudinal behavioral genetic study

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Genetics
• Developmental Psychology
• Adolescent Psychology

Background:

• Self-concept development is crucial during adolescence.
• Previous research explored genetic and environmental influences on children's self-perceptions.
• This study extends previous findings into adolescence using a longitudinal design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first longitudinal behavioral genetic study of adolescent self-concept.
• To examine the stability of self-concept across adolescence.
• To investigate genetic and environmental contributions to self-concept stability.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal twin/sibling study design.
• Follow-up assessment of 248 pairs of same-sex twins, full siblings, and stepsiblings (ages 10-18).
• Analysis of self-concept stability and heritability across two time points, 3 years apart.

Main Results:

• Six of seven self-concept subscales were heritable at the second assessment.
• No significant shared environmental effects were found for any self-concept scales.
• Genetic factors contributed to the stability of scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance, and general self-worth.
• Social competence demonstrated nonshared environmental mediation across time.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent self-concept is significantly influenced by heritable traits.
• Shared environmental factors play a minimal role in self-concept stability during adolescence.
• Both genetic predispositions and unique life experiences contribute to individual differences in adolescent self-concept.