Antecedents, Consequences, and Mechanisms: On the Longitudinal Interplay Between Academic Self-Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment

We investigated the reciprocal associations between academic self‐enhancement and key indicators of intra‐ and interpersonal adjustment as well as the role of self‐esteem as a mediator. This longitudinal study involved three assessments in a sample of 709 German children and adolescents (Mage = 11.8...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality 2015-10, Vol.83 (5), p.511-522
Main Authors: Dufner, Michael, Reitz, Anne K., Zander, Lysann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic achievement
Adaptation, Psychological
Adjustment
Adolescent
Adolescent Development
Associations
Child
Child Development
Children
Female
Germany
Humans
Interpersonal relations
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Personal Satisfaction
Psychological factors
Schools
Self Concept
Self esteem
Social Adjustment
Social Desirability
Students - psychology
Teenagers
Well-being
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Summary:We investigated the reciprocal associations between academic self‐enhancement and key indicators of intra‐ and interpersonal adjustment as well as the role of self‐esteem as a mediator. This longitudinal study involved three assessments in a sample of 709 German children and adolescents (Mage = 11.83; 54% female) over the course of one academic year. We assessed self‐reported subjective well‐being as an indicator of intrapersonal adjustment and peer‐reported popularity as an indicator of interpersonal adjustment. We computed cross‐lagged and longitudinal mediational analyses. Academic self‐enhancement prospectively predicted high subsequent well‐being and popularity. Vice versa, well‐being and popularity prospectively predicted high subsequent levels of self‐enhancement. High self‐esteem mediated the longitudinal associations between self‐enhancement and well‐being in both directions, but not the links between self‐enhancement and popularity. Self‐enhancement and adjustment are bidirectionally linked: Self‐enhancement entails intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits; at the same time, adjustment in both domains fosters self‐enhancement. In terms of intrapersonal, but not interpersonal adjustment, self‐esteem seems to serve as a linchpin, accounting for all longitudinal associations. Furthermore, we present evidence indicating that self‐enhancement indicators that are based on difference scores (instead of residuals) are problematic and might have led to negatively biased results in the literature.
ISSN:0022-3506
1467-6494
DOI:10.1111/jopy.12128