title: Global self-esteem across the life span: a cross-sectional comparison between representative and self-selected internet samples.
abstract: The cross-sectional trajectory of global self-esteem across the life span was examined administering the Rosenberg and Single-Item Self-Esteem scales to Estonians (N = 29,463) who were either randomly selected from the National Census to represent the population or self-recruited through the Internet. The results (a) challenge the recent conclusion of a universal age trajectory of self-esteem, (b) demonstrate that self-recruited Internet data collection method is biased compared to random sampling, and (c) present that different self-esteem items have dissimilar trajectories. A variance component analysis confirmed that age differences in self-esteem are relatively small compared to interindividual differences and measurement error.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. helle.pullmann@ut.ee
authors.forename: Helle
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pullmann
authors.forename: Jüri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allik
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Realo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012494:Sampling Studies; D015983:Selection Bias; D012649:Self Concept