The Causal Relationship of Early Adolescents’ Personal Variables and Social Support on Self-Esteem According to Grade

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causal relationship of early adolescents` personal variables and social support on their self-esteem by grade. Information on 226 6th graders from elementary schools and 226 1st year students from middle schools in Busan was collected. Early adolescents` prosocial behavior, academic achievement, social support, and self-esteem were assessed using their self-reports. For the data analysis, Cronbach`s , t -test, Pearson`s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression were used. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS ver. 21.0 program for Windows. The major findings were as follows: first, early adolescents` prosocial behavior, academic achievement, social support demonstrated a significant difference between grades. Second, peers` social support was the most powerful determinant of self-esteem in both the 6th graders from elementary schools and the 1st year middle school students. Third, prosocial behavior had the greatest total effect on self-esteem in the case of both groups of students. The middle schoolers` academic achievement had no causal effect on their self-esteem. The findings from this study indicate that early adolescents` personal variables and social support are important elements that affect their self-esteem differently depending on their grade. Further, the findings of this study can be used as fundamental data to develop a teaching plan and provide counseling for early adolescents in order to increase their self-esteem.