Change and Consistency of Self-Esteem in Early and Middle Adolescence in the Context of School Transition

Abstract

Self-esteem is continuous and has stable characteristics, but it may also change, e.g., during transitions from one educational level to the next. In a prospective cross-sectional study over a year and a half, 250 Polish early adolescents ( N = 109, 54 girls; mean age at T1 = 12.68 years, SD = 0.49) and middle adolescents ( N = 141, 107 girls; mean age at T1 = 15.80, SD = 0.44) were tested three times using Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, assessing both global self-esteem and self-evaluation in eight domains. The change and consistency of self-esteem were analyzed, at both group and individual levels. At the group level, the following results were found: (1) continuity of self-esteem in five domains (scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance, close friendship, and romantic appeal) and in global self-esteem and discontinuity in only three domains (social acceptance, job competence, and behavioral conduct); (2) significant inter-individual variation in the change not explained by age; and (3) higher self-esteem (in five domains) in early adolescents. At the individual level, the stability in most domains was weak, but was restored over the second year at the new school. The complexity of the developmental change and consistency in self-esteem in adolescence was highlighted, emphasizing the need for analyzing both group and individual change.

Are you scared of what comes next? Students' future career anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The fact that self-esteem was not significantly associated with future career anxiety in highschool students and, thus, we could not assess its potential mediating role within the relationship between fear from COVID and future career anxiety, might be related to the developmental path, stability, and change of self-esteem, as suggested by several researchers concerning various transition periods (e.g., Białecka-Pikul et al, 2019;Chung et al, 2014). Additional explanations might also be related to the changes in self-esteem during the transition from university to work, as Reitz et al (2020) suggested.…”

Self-Esteem Development and Life Events: A Review and Integrative Process Framework

“…In contrast, other studies found no mean-level change during the middle-school transition (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2019;Proctor & Choi, 1994). Few studies looked beyond mean-level change, but those that did reported significant individual variability in change (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2019;Morin et al, 2013). In summary, research on the middle school transition has yielded mixed results, with several studies finding a decline in self-esteem and some other studies reporting stability.…”

Trajectories of perceived parenting across an educational transition: Associations with psychosocial adjustment and identity development among Swiss adolescents.

“…These stressful educational transitions can evoke changes in adjustment for adolescents, including vis-à-vis their self-esteem, with self-esteem being defined as a general evaluation of one’s self-worth (Grolnick et al, 2000; Harter, 1988). Although a large body of evidence has suggested that many young people become more negative about themselves during these transitions, studies investigating self-esteem over school transitions have not been conclusive with some reporting increases (Proctor & Choi, 1994; Wagner et al, 2013), others reporting decreases (e.g., Wigfield et al, 1991), and still others reporting stable self-esteem during the transition (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2019; e.g., Hirsch & Rapkin, 1987). In this regard, Zimmerman et al (1997) identified four self-esteem trajectories in early to middle adolescents (consistently high, moderate and rising, decreasing, and consistently low) suggesting that adolescents follow different self-esteem trajectories.…”