Diagnostics of Authentic and Compensatory Self-Esteem Contingencies in Adolescents

The article presents the results of a new scale development. This scale is aimed to measure the four contingencies of adolescent's self-esteem: self-esteem based on competence, self-esteem based on parental approval, self-esteem based on teachers' approval and compensatory self-esteem. The theoretical basis of the questionnaire is the activity theory (A.N. Leontiev) and J. Crocker's idea about two types of self-esteem, based on competence and on the others' approval. The reliability and validity of the new questionnaire was shown with the sample of adolescents (N = 223). The four-factor structure of the questionnaire was confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis. All subscales of the questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and small to moderate correlations with general self-esteem (M. Rosenberg), subjective wellbeing (satisfaction with oneself, family and school subscales from E. Huebner Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale) and academic performance. Adolescents, who based their self-esteem on competence, parents' or teachers' approval, have higher level of general self-esteem, e.g. they perceive themselves as valuable and competent human beings and have higher life satisfaction. On the contrary, compensatory self-esteem correlates negatively with life satisfaction and does not show significant links with general self-esteem. We observed a similar pattern in relation to the correlation between the adolescents' four types of self-esteem contingencies and academic performance. The first three types of self-esteem correlate positively with academic achievement, whereas the compensatory self-esteem correlates negatively. We can argue that the first three types of self-esteem contingencies associated with the competence and constructive approval of significant adults are authentic because they contribute to both subjective well-being and successful results of learning activity and are based on competence and mastery. It's worth noting that the self-esteem based on competence has the most productive effects. It confirms the thesis about the unique role of the productive activity in general and in particular the impact of the productive learning activities for adolescents' personality development. The engagement in learning activity may provide an important sense of competence and mastery, necessary for personality development. On the contrary, high compensatory self-esteem is a negative factor for personality development, both in terms of life satisfaction and academic success. The profile with high level of compensatory self-esteem and low levels of three other types of self-esteem contingencies has especially negative consequences. The article presents the text of the questionnaire and the normative data for adolescents including gender differences. The questionnaire is recommended to use both for research purposes and in practical psychological diagnostics of self-esteem contingencies and healthy personality development.