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Parental contexts of adolescent self-esteem: A developmental perspective
R S Isberg1, S T Hauser, A M Jacobson
1Harvard Medical School, USA.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|November 26, 2013
Summary
Parental interactions significantly influence adolescent self-esteem, especially in boys and those with lower ego development. As adolescents mature, they rely less on parental feedback for self-evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Adolescent self-esteem development is influenced by various factors, including parental interactions.
- Understanding the nuances of these relationships is crucial for supporting healthy adolescent development.
- Previous research suggests a link, but specific patterns across different adolescent subgroups require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between observed parental interactions and adolescent self-esteem.
- To examine how these associations differ based on adolescent gender, health status, and ego development.
- To explore the role of parental feedback in self-esteem regulation during adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed data from 95 early adolescents and their parents.
- Assessed parental verbal interactions using the constraining and enabling coding system on transcribed family discussions.
- Measured adolescent self-esteem using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and ego development via the Washington University Sentence Completion Test.
Main Results:
- Boys showed stronger associations between self-esteem and parental interactions than girls.
- Psychiatrically ill boys exhibited particularly high associations.
- Parental interactions were most strongly related to self-esteem in adolescents with lower levels of ego development.
Conclusions:
- Parental feedback plays a significant role in adolescent self-esteem, particularly in early developmental stages.
- Adolescents demonstrate increasing independence in self-esteem regulation as they mature and develop higher ego development.
- Findings support the concept of increasing individuation in self-esteem regulation throughout adolescent development.
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