The link between self-esteem and aggression: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• The relationship between self-esteem and aggression is complex and debated.
• Previous research suggests both low and high self-esteem may be linked to aggression.
• Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the prospective effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analytically investigate the prospective relationship between self-esteem and aggression.
• To determine if self-esteem predicts future aggression or if aggression predicts future self-esteem.
• To explore potential moderators of these relationships.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 47 longitudinal studies (N = 40,688).
• Employed one-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling and dynamic panel models.
• Utilized continuous time meta-analysis to account for varying time intervals.

Main Results:

• No significant cross-lagged effects were found between self-esteem and aggression.
• A small, significant effect of aggression predicting lower self-esteem emerged in continuous time analysis.
• Self-esteem and aggression were significantly, negatively correlated (r ≈ -.34).

Conclusions:

• Neither low nor high self-esteem appears to be a significant risk factor for future aggression.
• Aggression may have a small prospective effect on self-esteem, particularly hostile aggression.
• The findings challenge theories linking self-esteem directly to aggressive behavior.