Developmental Change and Time-Specific Variation in Global and Specific Aspects of Self-Concept in Adolescence and Association With Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that adolescents make differential self-evaluations in multiple domains that include physical appearance, academic competence, and peer acceptance. We report growth curve analyses over a seven year period from age 9 to age 16 on the six domains of the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children. In general, we find little change in self-concept, on average, but do find substantial individual differences in level, rate of change, and time-specific variation in these self- evaluations. The results suggest that sex differences and adoptive status were related to only certain aspects of the participants’ self-concept. Depressive symptoms were found to have significant effects on individual differences in rate of change and on time-specific variation in general self-concept, as well as on some of the specific domains of self-concept.

The Development of Multiple Self‐Concept Dimensions During Adolescence

“…Finally, statistically significant gender differences were found in some grades, males scoring higher in self‐esteem, math, physical abilities, physical appearance, emotional stability, and parent relationships; and females scoring better in verbal and general school. These results confirm some previous research in self‐esteem (Kling et al., ; Marsh, ; Pastor et al., ; Steiger et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ), math (Marsh, ; Marsh et al., ; Nagy et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ), physical abilities and physical appearance (Avsec, ; Gentile et al., ; Inglés et al., ; Kling et al., ; Kuzucu et al., ; Marsh, ; Marsh et al., ; Pastor et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ; Young & Mroczek, ), emotional stability (Avsec, ; Inglés et al., ; Marsh, ; Marsh et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ), parent relationships (Marsh et al., ), verbal (Marsh, ; Marsh et al., ; Nagy et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ), and general school (Coelho et al., ; Young & Mroczek, ), and are consistent with sex stereotypes which impact individuals’ self‐concept formation—that is, both genders score higher on self‐concept dimensions that are stereotypically associated with their gender.…”

“…However, there are some inconsistencies in the literature and other studies have found that scores in self‐esteem increase during adolescence (Steiger, Allemand, Robins, & Fend, ; Vicent et al., ), from middle adolescence to young adulthood (Birkeland, Melkevik, Holsen, & Wold, ; Bleidorn et al., ; Erol & Orth, ; Kiviruusu et al., ; von Soest, Wichstrøm, & Lundin Kvalem, ) and from middle adolescence to old age (Meier, Orth, Denissen, & Kühnel, ). Other studies have not found differences in adolescents (Kuzucu, Bontempo, Hofer, Stallings, & Piccinin, ; Pastor, Balaguer, & García‐Merita, ; Young & Mroczek, ), claiming that for the majority of students (69.7%) global self‐esteem remains stable across Grades 7–10 (Morin, Maiano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz, ) and concluding that the mean self‐esteem level depends more on the type of the measure used (single vs. 10‐item), sampling method, and measurement error than age (Pullmann, Allik, & Realo, ).…”

“…With regard to nonacademic dimensions, the most repeated information in various studies using a wide variety of questionnaires is that females have a worse physical self‐concept than males (Arazi & Hosseini, ; Esnaola, ; Findlay & Bowker, ). These less favorable self‐perceptions for girls have been found with regard to specific physical self‐concept domains including perceived physical appearance and physical abilities (Avsec, ; Gentile et al., ; Inglés et al., ; Kling et al., ; Kuzucu et al., ; Marsh, ; Marsh et al., ; Pastor et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ; Young & Mroczek, ). Likewise, males tend to rate themselves significantly higher than females did on emotional stability (Avsec, ; Inglés et al., ; Marsh, ; Marsh et al., ; Wilgenbusch & Merrell, ).…”

In‐session behaviours and adolescents' self‐concept and loneliness: A psychodrama process–outcome study

“…Studies have shown that self‐concept is significantly associated with many variables. For example, decreases in all domains of self‐concept over a 7‐year period, from childhood to adolescence, could be predicted from respondents' level of depression (Kuzucu, Bontempo, Hofer, Stallings, & Piccinin, ). Low scholastic, social, and behavioural self‐concepts were linked with high self‐reported bullying behaviour and victimization by peers (Andreou, ).…”

Self‐esteem development in the school context: The roles of intrapersonal and interpersonal social predictors

“…In their studies, this decline was found to continue into the seventh grade and to only recover in late adolescence (Eccles et al, ; Wigfield & Eccles, ; Wigfield et al, ). In contrast to this empirical evidence, independent longitudinal studies in early to middle adolescence have demonstrated mean‐level stability (Birkeland et al, ; Bolognini, Plancherel, Bettschart, & Halfon, ; Kuzucu, Bontempo, Hofer, Stallings, & Piccinin, ) or even increases in self‐esteem (Morin, Maïano, Marsh, Nagengast, & Janosz, ; Steiger et al, ). Despite this inconsistency in the developmental direction, all of the cited studies found a substantial amount of interindividual differences in intraindividual change.…”