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Low adolescent self-esteem leads to multiple interpersonal problems: a test a social-adaptation theory
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|September 1, 1980
Summary
Low self-esteem predicts interpersonal problems in adolescent boys, particularly when multiple issues are considered. This finding supports social-adaptation theory over self-perception theory for understanding adolescent development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Adolescence is a critical period for developing self-esteem and social relationships.
- Understanding the interplay between self-esteem and interpersonal functioning is crucial for psychological well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between self-esteem and interpersonal problems in adolescent boys.
- To determine whether self-esteem predicts interpersonal problems or vice versa.
Main Methods:
- Annual monitoring of self-esteem and interpersonal problems in over 100 boys across three years of high school.
- Utilized cross-lagged panel correlation to analyze temporal precedence between variables.
Main Results:
- Low self-esteem was found to predict interpersonal problems across all time lags when multiple problems were assessed.
- This predictive relationship was not significant when single interpersonal problem criteria were used.
Conclusions:
- Findings support social-adaptation theory, suggesting self-esteem influences social functioning.
- Results have implications for personality assessment and understanding individual differences in adolescents.