Low self-esteem as a risk factor for loneliness in adolescence: Perceived-but not actual-social acceptance as an underlying mechanism
Publication year
2013Number of pages
15 p.
Source
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41, 7, (2013), pp. 1067-1081ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
SW OZ BSI OGG
Journal title
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Volume
vol. 41
Issue
iss. 7
Languages used
English (eng)
Page start
p. 1067
Page end
p. 1081
Subject
Developmental PsychopathologyAbstract
Low self-esteem has been shown to relate to concurrent and later feelings of loneliness in adolescence. However, it remains unclear why low self-esteem puts adolescents at risk for experiencing loneliness. Further, longitudinal research on the direction of effects between loneliness and self-esteem is virtually non-existent. The present study aims to fill these gaps in the literature. First, the direction of effects between loneliness and self-esteem was investigated in two independent longitudinal studies: a five-wave study sampling Dutch adolescents (M age = 15.22 years at T1; 47 % female; N = 428) and a three-wave study sampling Belgian adolescents (M age = 14.95 years at T1; 63 % female; N = 882). Second, the underlying role of social acceptance was investigated in the latter sample by applying a multi-method approach that included actual (i.e., peer-reported) and perceived (i.e., self-reported) social acceptance. Results indicated that self-esteem and loneliness influenced one another in a reciprocal manner. Furthermore, the dominant path from self-esteem to loneliness was partially mediated by perceived-but not actual-social acceptance. The importance of distinguishing actual from perceived social acceptance is discussed, and suggestions for future research are outlined.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [227437]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [28417]
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