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Published on: August 25, 2023
Self-esteem and satisfaction with social relationships across time
Elisabeth L de Moor1, Jaap J A Denissen1, Wilco H M Emons2
1Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University.
Self-esteem and social satisfaction have a bidirectional relationship. Fluctuations in social satisfaction more strongly impact self-esteem over time, highlighting the importance of temporal analysis in psychological research.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Quantitative Psychology
Background:
- Longitudinal associations between self-esteem and social satisfaction lack clear temporal order.
- Previous studies show varied results, potentially due to differing time intervals.
- The influence of time intervals on these associations remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal dynamics between self-esteem and satisfaction with social relationships.
- To differentiate between-person and within-person effects using advanced statistical modeling.
- To clarify the bidirectional influence and optimal time lags for these constructs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized continuous time structural equation models (CT-SEM).
- Employed random intercept CT-SEM (RI-CT-SEM) to separate between-person and within-person processes.
- Analyzed 10 years of annual data from a large longitudinal study (N=14,741).
Main Results:
- CT-SEM revealed a bidirectional positive relationship between self-esteem and social satisfaction, strengthening with longer intervals.
- RI-CT-SEM indicated the strongest effects occurred at 1-year intervals, diminishing at shorter and longer lags.
- Within-person effects showed social satisfaction fluctuations had a greater impact on self-esteem fluctuations than vice versa.
Conclusions:
- The temporal aspect is crucial for understanding the self-esteem and social relationship connection.
- Optimal time intervals exist for observing these psychological associations.
- Considering time is vital for research on interpersonal and general psychological constructs.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Esteem
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Benefits of Self-Esteem
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social Foundations of Self III: Self-Evaluation
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience

