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Updated: Aug 31, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Does personal future outlook cause self-esteem?
Abstract:
Melges et al. (1971) presented evidence that a client's sense of self-worth is highly correlated with his degree of optimism about his personal future. In the present study, the cross-lagged panel correlation (CLPC) technique was used to test their hypothesis that changes in personal future outlook lead to changes in self-esteem. Ninety-four outpatients in the private psychiatric practice of the senior author filled out the Decision-Making Evaluation Instrument used by Melges et al. to assess these two constructs as well as decision-making and outcome. Results did not support their implication that personal future outlook is causally predominant over self-esteem, nor did the results support their assumption that they were measuring a distinct construct of self-esteem.
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