Global Self-Esteem Across the Life Span

This study provides a comprehensive picture of age differences in self-esteem from age 9 to 90 years using cross-sectional data collected from 326,641 individuals over the Internet. Self-esteem levels were high in childhood, dropped during adolescence, rose gradually throughout adulthood, and declin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology and aging 2002-09, Vol.17 (3), p.423-434
Main Authors: Robins, Richard W, Trzesniewski, Kali H, Tracy, Jessica L, Gosling, Samuel D, Potter, Jeff
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adult. Elderly
Age Differences
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Aging - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Demography
Developmental psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Internet
Life span analysis
Lifetime
Male
Middle Aged
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self Concept
Self image
Self-Esteem
Selfesteem
Socioeconomic Factors
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:This study provides a comprehensive picture of age differences in self-esteem from age 9 to 90 years using cross-sectional data collected from 326,641 individuals over the Internet. Self-esteem levels were high in childhood, dropped during adolescence, rose gradually throughout adulthood, and declined sharply in old age. This trajectory generally held across gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and nationality (U.S. citizens vs. non-U.S. citizens). Overall, these findings support previous research, help clarify inconsistencies in the literature, and document new trends that require further investigation.
ISSN:0882-7974
1939-1498
DOI:10.1037/0882-7974.17.3.423