Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
The resilience of self-esteem in late adulthood
Amy L Collins1, Michael A Smyer
1Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. lovea@bc.edu.
Objective:
The authors examined the resilience of self-esteem after loss in the lives of older adults. Specifically, the authors investigated the relationship between loss and change in self-esteem during a 3-year period.
Method:
A subsample of older adults (n = 1,278) from the Americans' Changing Lives Study was used to examine loss in the domains of health, financial security, or work and career and self-esteem before and after the loss.
Results:
There was a small but significant decrease in self-esteem between Wave I and Wave II of the study. Loss in one of the domains explained less than 1% of the variance in self-esteem change.
Discussion:
The low incidence of loss and small change in high levels of self-esteem are further evidence of resilience in older adults' psychological well-being. The implications for older adults' use of cognitive strategies to manage losses and promote gains are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Self-Esteem
Protecting Self-Esteem
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
