Human Growth and Development / Unit 10 HGD 1363 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Self-Concept and Self-Esteem in Adolescence
The idea
Adolescents' self-concept grows abstract, "fair," "loyal," and built by comparison with others. Harter's dimensions include scholastic competence, social acceptance, athletic competence, physical appearance and behavioural conduct. Self-concept is fairly stable from middle childhood to mid-adolescence, sustained by peers' perceptions and by niche-picking. Self-esteem, the emotional piece, rises overall across adolescence, predicted by good parental relationships, physical activity and positive body image.
In practice
A girl whose self-esteem holds steady through a bad exam season because she feels accepted by friends and supported at home.
Where people slip
Kling and colleagues' meta-analysis found a small male advantage in self-esteem, largest in late adolescence; boys' and girls' scores overlap far more than they differ. Low self-esteem predicts depression and fewer supportive friends, and self-compassion can buffer its effects.
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