[Self-concept and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence].
This study analyses the relationship between a multidimensional measure of self-concept, Self-concept Form-5 Questionnaire (AF5), and a broad set of adolescents' psychosocial adjustment indicators. From the responses of 1,281 participants (53.7% females) aged 12 to 17 years ( M = 14.98 years, SD = 1.74 years), results indicated that higher self-concept scores corresponded to better psychological adjustment, good personal skills and fewer behavioral problems. Although a positive relationship between social self-concept and drug use was found, this significant relationship disappeared once the adolescent's age and sex was controlled for. These results support the idea that the self-concept is a basic theoretical construct closely related to the psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. Also this study helps explain some contradictory results reported in the literature (i.e., a positive relationship between social self-concept and drug use), by showing how the statistical control of a third variable effect (i.e., age) avoids reaching conclusions based on spurious relationships.
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain. m.castillo.fuentes@uv.es
María C
MC
Fuentes
José Fernando
JF
García
Enrique
E
Gracia
Marisol
M
Lila
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013030:Spain; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires