A structural analysis of self-esteem from pre-adolescence through young adulthood: Anxiety and extraversion as agents in the development of self-esteem

Three personality scales designed to measure similar dimensions in different age ranges—the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ), and Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ)—were administered along with varieties of Coopersmith's Self‐Esteem Inventory (SEI) to three samples aged (on average) 21 (N = 71), 15 (N = 91), and 10 (N = 89) years. The results indicated considerable stability in the personality correlates of self‐esteem at these ages. Consideration of these personality dimensions at the second‐order level indicated that it was anxiety and extraversion factors that consistenly appeared as significant correlates. These observations were considered in light of the source trait‐surface trait distinction made by Cattell (1957). One hypothesis is that children raised in a warm and accepting environment develop lower levels of anxiety and higher levels of extraversion. This leads to increased interpersonal contact and more opportunity for social feedback and enhanced self‐regard. While the precise order of events is uncertain, the literature reviewed is consistent with the proposal that anxiety, extraversion, and self‐esteem can be related to similar home environments.