ERIC Number: EJ1206530
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Mar
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0165-0254
EISSN: N/A
Self-Esteem Development in Middle Childhood: Support for Sociometer Theory
Magro, Sophia W.; Utesch, Till; Dreiskämper, Dennis; Wagner, Jenny
International Journal of Behavioral Development, v43 n2 p118-127 Mar 2019
Though it is well-established that self-esteem develops from childhood well into old age, little is known about the processes that influence this change, especially among young populations. This international, cross-sequential study examined the development of self-esteem in 1599 second-graders (Age M[subscript T1] = 7.99, SD[subscript T1] = 0.52 years; 52% male) in the Netherlands and Germany over three years. Multilevel models revealed that mean-level trends in self-esteem were stable across time among all demographic groups, but that males and students in the Netherlands consistently had higher self-esteem than females and students in Germany. Further analyses examining the role of social support in self-esteem development demonstrated that individuals with better peer and family social support tended to have higher levels of self-esteem and that within-person changes in social support were directly related to changes in self-esteem level, providing support for sociometer theory. These findings suggest that demographic factors as well as social support are important predictors of self-esteem as early as middle childhood.
Descriptors: Self Esteem, Child Development, Grade 2, Elementary School Students, Gender Differences, Cultural Differences, Peer Influence, Family Influence, Social Support Groups, Foreign Countries, Grade 3, Grade 4, Parent Background, Educational Attainment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 2; Primary Education; Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 3; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany; Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A