Abstract

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.

Keywords

Socioeconomic statusPsychologyEthnic groupLife spanSelf-esteemNationalityDevelopmental psychologyYoung adultDemographyGerontologyImmigrationPopulationMedicineGeography

MeSH Terms

AdolescentAdultAge FactorsAgedAged80 and overAgingChildDemographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSelf ConceptSocioeconomic FactorsSurveys and Questionnaires

Affiliated Institutions

Related Publications

Publication Info

Year
2002
Type
article
Volume
17
Issue
3
Pages
423-434
Citations
754
Access
Closed

External Links

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754
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6
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500
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Cite This

Richard W. Robins, Kali H. Trzesniewski, Jessica L. Tracy et al. (2002). Global self-esteem across the life span.. Psychology and Aging , 17 (3) , 423-434. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.17.3.423

Identifiers

DOI
10.1037/0882-7974.17.3.423
PMID
12243384

Data Quality

Data completeness: 81%