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Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience01:18

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Self-esteem, a crucial component of psychological development, is significantly shaped by familial experiences. The early parent-child relationship serves as a foundational influence on a child's self-concept, with long-lasting effects extending into adolescence and adulthood.Parental Behaviors and Early Self-Esteem FormationEmpirical studies have identified four principal parental behaviors that foster healthy self-esteem in children. These include expressions of acceptance, affection, and...
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Self-esteem is intricately tied to our perception of competence and our ability to exert control over our lives. One of the primary sources of this perception is performance feedback — the ongoing evaluation of our actions in terms of success and failure. According to Franks and Marolla (1976), people derive self-worth from experiencing themselves as causal agents, capable of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This process nurtures a critical component of self-esteem:...
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Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...
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Self-esteem and delinquency.

F R Rosenberg1, M Rosenberg, J McCord

  • 1Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|January 11, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Self-esteem significantly influences delinquency more than the reverse, particularly in lower-class tenth-grade boys. This suggests delinquent behavior may enhance self-perception, supporting Kaplan's theory.

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Area of Science:

  • Sociology
  • Criminology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Understanding the reciprocal relationship between self-esteem and delinquency is crucial for effective intervention strategies.
  • Previous theories offer competing explanations for this relationship, including reflected appraisals and self-enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causal direction between self-esteem and delinquency.
  • To determine if self-esteem influences delinquency more than delinquency influences self-esteem.
  • To examine socioeconomic class differences in this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the cross-lagged panel correlation technique.
  • Analyzed data from a nationwide study of tenth-grade boys.
  • Controlled for initial levels of delinquency.

Main Results:

  • Self-esteem was found to be a more powerful causal factor in predicting delinquency.
  • This effect was more pronounced among lower-class participants compared to upper-class participants.
  • Delinquency did not show a significant reciprocal effect on self-esteem when controlling for initial levels.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support Kaplan's theory of the self-enhancing nature of delinquent behavior.
  • The results challenge theories emphasizing reflected appraisals as the primary driver.
  • Socioeconomic status moderates the self-esteem-delinquency relationship, highlighting the need for context-specific interventions.