Self-Esteem Links in Families with 12-Year-Old Children and in Separated Spouses

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study is to map associations of self-esteem in families with 12-year-old children and in separated spouses. The authors assessed self-esteem using the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adults (B. Messer & S. Harter, 1986) and the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children (S. Harter, 1988; L. Wichstrom, 1995) in (a) 1,236 pairs of spouses and their 12-year-old children and (b) 159 pairs of ex-spouses. The authors found links for all aspects of self-esteem for married and cohabiting spouses in contrast with ex-spouses who lacked such associations. Ex-spouses had a lower global self-worth than did married and cohabiting spouses. The authors also found parent–child associations for self-esteem. Girls resembled their mothers' global self-worth more than their fathers' and more than the boys. Family members manifest similar levels of self-esteem. The spouses’ similarity can be due to assortative mating, a convergence over time, or both. For children, environmental influence in the family context can contribute to the formation of self-esteem. The stronger mother–girl link suggests that maternal identification of self-esteem is an environmental factor for girls in particular.

Keywords:

• children
• family relations
• parent-child relations
• self-esteem
• spouses

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant to Finn Rasmussen, the principal investigator of the Parental Influences on Their Children's Health study, from the Swedish Council for Social Research (Grant Number F0123/2000). The contributions of Sanna Tholin, with regard to sampling and creation of the database, are greatly appreciated. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.