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Accommodative self-regulation: The sample case of imprisonment in young adulthood
Karla Marek1, Cathleen Kappes1, Daniela Hosser2
1Institute for Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany.
Journal of Personality
|September 8, 2022
Summary
Accommodative adjustments, where individuals adapt their desires to their reality, help stabilize self-esteem in restrictive environments like incarceration. This self-concept adjustment is crucial for maintaining psychological well-being during challenging developmental periods.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Criminology
Background:
- Restrictive developmental conditions, such as incarceration, pose significant challenges to self-esteem in early adulthood.
- Self-esteem stabilization processes are critical for navigating these adverse environments.
- Understanding adjustment mechanisms is key to supporting incarcerated youth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the role of self-esteem stabilization processes in response to restrictive developmental conditions.
- To investigate accommodative adjustments in incarcerated young adults.
- To determine if adjusting one's self-perception to align with desires can maintain stable self-esteem.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with three measurement occasions.
- Analyzed data from 728 incarcerated men aged 14-24.
- Assessed accommodative adjustments (ideal self to actual self) and assimilative adjustments (actual self to ideal self).
Main Results:
- Accommodative adjustments significantly predicted self-esteem.
- Accommodative processes were more critical when assimilative processes were less pronounced.
- Accommodative self-concept adjustments buffered negative effects of incarceration, especially early on.
Conclusions:
- Accommodative self-concept adjustments play a vital role in stabilizing self-esteem among incarcerated young adults.
- These adjustments are particularly important during the initial stages of incarceration.
- The findings highlight the psychological resilience mechanisms in restrictive settings.
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