The need to affiliate and self-esteem in institutionalized children.

Abstract

The present experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that institutionalized children have a greater need to affiliate, compared to noninstitutio nalized control children, and that this need is negative in nature. It was also predicted that institutionalized children manifest less self-esteem than control subjects and that self-esteem is related to affiliation. An adaptation of French's Test of Insight and the Personal, Home, Social and Formal Relations Questionnaire were administered to 12 male and 12 female institutionalized children and a matched control sample. The data confirmed the hypotheses. The results were discussed, and the conclusion was drawn that social deprivation, which is characteristi c of institution-reared children leads through a fear of rejection to an increase in affiliation motivation and, because of a poor socializing environment, to reduced self-esteem. While extensive theoretical and empirical exploration has been conducted on the effects of institutionalization on social adjustment (Bowlby, 196S; Goldfarb, 1955; Pringle, 1965; Yarrow, 1961; Zigler, Balla, & Butterfield, 1968), little attention has been focused on how this variable influences the social motives. Since most theorists appear to agree that the need to affiliate is either equal to, or next in importance to, the basic physical needs (Maslow, 1970; Pringle, 1965), this motive was singled out for investigation. Affiliation is commonly defined as concern with the establishment and maintenance of positive affectionate relations with other persons and with the desire to be liked and accepted. Atkinson, Heynes, and Veroff (1954) and French and Chadwick (1956) maintained that since affiliation motivation is aroused through concern over separations which stem from the painful stimulus of rejection, there would appear to be a difference between a positive desire for friendly relations and a negative fear of rejection, 1 This study is based on a dissertation submitted to the University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfillment of the honors bachelor's degree. The author expresses appreciation to Gerald Doyle for his helpful comments in the preparation of this research and to Valerie Sachs and Sharon Sidley who acted as scorers.