Links between psychological disengagement from school and different forms of self-esteem in the crucial period of early and mid-adolescence

Delphine Martinot,Ann Beaton,Sandrine Redersdorff,Natalie Rinfret,Francine Tougas

doi:10.1007/s11218-020-09592-w

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the links between psychological disengagement from academics and self-esteem during two different periods of adolescence. Previous research provided mixed findings on the links between both psychological disengagement mechanisms (i.e., discounting and devaluing) and self-esteem. To clarify this relationship, global self-esteem as well as self-esteem in school attainment and social domains were assessed among 142 early-adolescents (aged 11 to 12) and 172 mid-adolescents (aged 13 to 15). According to the Psychological Disengagement Model, it was predicted that experience of personal deprivation due to perceived relative academic underachievement would be associated with discounting of academic grades. In turn, a link between discounting and devaluing from school was expected. Both psychological disengagement mechanisms were predicted to harm global self-esteem and self-esteem in the school attainment domains. However, discounting and devaluing were expected to increase self-esteem in the social domains among mid- rather than early-adolescents. Path analyses support in part prediction. Both psychological disengagement mechanisms played a different role on global and domain-specific self-esteem. Among early-adolescents, discounting reduced global self-esteem and self-esteem in school attainment domains. Findings pointed to the self-protective role of discounting on self-esteem in social domains among mid-adolescents as well as the non-protective function of devaluing on global self-esteem, school attainment and social domains of self-esteem. This study contributes by clarifying the links between psychological disengagement from academics and self-esteem at two distinct periods in adolescence and the specific domains of self-esteem.

Highlights

1.1 School disengagement and adolescenceYouth disengagement from academics is a matter for concern
A Oneway ANOVA was performed to validate differences among age groups on the basic concepts contained in the Psychological Disengagement Model (Tougas et al 2005), that is, personal relative deprivation, discounting, devaluing and global self-worth
The present results showed that experience of personal relative deprivation in academic achievement was directly and negatively linked to academic selfesteem, both in early- and mid-adolescents

Summary

Introduction

1.1 School disengagement and adolescenceYouth disengagement from academics is a matter for concern. The transition to a secondary school is marked with important changes for youth, namely, exposure to a larger and more heterogeneous student population, fewer opportunities for interaction with teachers, and wavering social support from teachers, peers, and parents (e.g., Eccles et al 1993; Eccles and Roeser 2010; Wang and Holcombe 2010) These changes to the school environment are at odds with the developmental needs of adolescents (Eccles and Midgley 1989). Devaluing is a mechanism whereby a student will minimize the importance of academic achievement and feel that this domain is no longer relevant for the self (e.g., “Succeeding in school is not important for my future life”)

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