title: Searching for a sense of purpose: the role of parents and effects on self-esteem among female adolescents.
abstract: Achieving a sense of purpose during adolescence is a developmental asset; however, searching for that purpose may be a developmental stressor. Supportive parent-child relationships may help youth during this stressful experience. The present study included 207 female students in the sixth, eighth, and tenth grades from two competitive private schools. Searching for purpose negatively predicted self-esteem. Hierarchical linear regression examined moderating effects of parental trust and alienation on searching for purpose as a predictor of self-esteem. Parental alienation significantly moderated the association between search for purpose and girls' self-esteem; conversely, parental trust did not moderate the association. Results suggest that parent-child relationships characterized by high levels of parental alienation may exacerbate the pernicious effects of search for purpose. Person-based analyses found four clusters corresponding to Foreclosed Purpose, Diffused Purpose, Uncommitted Purpose/Moratorium, and Achieved Purpose. We discuss implications for practice and research based on these results.
authors.affiliation: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. meghan.blattner@bc.edu
authors.forename: Meghan C C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Blattner
authors.forename: Belle
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Terese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Parent–child relationships; Positive youth development; Self-esteem; Sense of purpose