Relational self-worth: Differences in perceived worth as a person across interpersonal contexts among adolescents
Abstract
The present study investigated the hypothesis that in addition to perceptions of one's global self-worth as a person, individuals evaluate their self-worth differently across relational contexts. Perceptions of self-worth among adolescents were examined in 4 such contexts: with parents, teachers, male classmates, and female classmates. The factor pattern revealed a clear, 4-factor solution with negligible cross-loadings. Approximately three-fourths of the participants reported differences in self-worth, ranging from small to large, across contexts. To examine the basis for differences and similarities across relationships, self-worth in each context was predicted by the validation support reported by adolescents in that context. Support in a given context was significantly more highly correlated with relational self-worth in the corresponding context than in any of the other contexts. Adolescents could be divided into subgroups based upon the high correlation between self-worth in one particular context and global self-worth. These findings suggest that how an individual evaluates the self in certain relationships is critical to his or her overall sense of worth as a person.
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RSE pertains to self-worth derived from one's relationships with significant others such as family and friends.
“RSE pertains to self-worth derived from one's relationships with significant others such as family and friends [19, 20].”
From Self-esteem and subjective well-being revisited: The roles of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem (2017) · cites this paper as [19]
The self-concept encompasses evaluative self-knowledge and self-worth, which are informed by status or competency across multiple domains.
“The self-concept encompasses evaluative self-knowledge and self-worth, which are informed by status or competency across multiple domains (e.g., social, athletic, and appearance) (40).”
From Development of self-protective biases in response to social evaluative feedback (2017) · cites this paper as [40]
Adolescents are in the process of building up self-referential knowledge, identity, and social group affiliations.
“Adolescents, by contrast, are in the process of building up self-referential knowledge, identity, and social group affiliations (40).”
From Development of self-protective biases in response to social evaluative feedback (2017) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Harter, S., Waters, P., & Whitesell, N. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Denver (US)
- Corresponding author
- Harter, Susan
- Waters, Patricia
- Whitesell, Nancy R
- ORCID
- Whitesell, Nancy R
- Venue
- Child Development
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1998-06-01
- Volume
- 69
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 756-766
- ISSN
- 0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8624
- OpenAlex
- W2155870673
- Cited by
- 256
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 7.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Child Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychosocial Factors Impacting Youth
- Keywords
- global self-worth, adolescents, interpersonal context, parent-adolescent relationships, teacher-adolescent relationships, peer relationships, self-esteem
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Psychology, Adolescent, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Peer Group, Personality Inventory, Self Concept, Social Environment, Social Perception, Transfer, Psychology
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