in the first few months in regard to Self-Esteem?
Elizabeth Picknally
AbstractMenu
Abstract Introduction Method Results Discussion Conclusion Relevant Links References
This current study's main objective was to see if a relationship existed among the variables body satisfaction, early adaptation to college and self-esteem. Past research have looked at the variables body satisfaction and self-esteem in relation to media images and adaptation to college but not much information on all three variables have been researched. Sixteen college freshmen (eleven females and five males) from a small, Catholic, liberal arts college in the Northeast participated in this study. They were given three instruments, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker and Siryk, 1989), the Body Esteem Scale (Franzoi and Shields, 1984) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965). A Pearson Product Moment Correlation was computed for all three variables and within gender. Results indicate a significant, positive relationship among the variables self-esteem and early adaptation to college (r = .646, p < .01). Analysis within female participants found a significant, positive relationship between self-esteem and the full-scale SACQ (r = .732, p < .05) as well as academic adjustment and self-esteem (r = .710, p < .05). The variables self-esteem and personal-emotional adjustment also found a significant, positive relationship (r = .791, p < .01). Significance was not found among male participants. These results partially support the hypothesis because it found that high self-esteem leads to better adaptation to college, however, significance was not found in regard to body satisfaction. Results indicate that females with high self-esteem adjust better to college and are better able to cope psychologically. Overall, students (both male and female) with high self-esteem are better adapted to college. This may be due to participation in various activities (sports, volunteer programs, clubs) or having a close social network of friends. Methodological considerations and limitations are also discussed.
Every day individuals are forced to be aware of their appearance. Media images seen on television, in magazines and even advertisements portray the notion that beautiful is good and are a constant reminder that society judges its members based on their body size (which emphasizes thinness). This ideal can cause a decrease in self-esteem because individuals, especially women, constantly compare themselves with the cultural ideal of beauty and may feel that they do not measure up and lose confidence in their abilities. This concept is detrimental because a loss of self-esteem may affect adjustment to new situations, especially for the college freshman. Going to college for the first time is exciting but can also cause anxiety. The college freshman needs to adapt to a new place with new people and new sets of academic rules. They must deal with roommates and being away from their parents for the first time. They must have confidence in their abilities to make new friends and learn new time management skills because there is no one to tell them when to eat or when to study. However, if they are not satisfied or comfortable with their appearance they may be less likely to meet new people or join different clubs. They may feel that others are judging them or they may compare themselves with these new people.
This current study attempts to find if a relationship exists among the variables adaptation to college, body satisfaction and self-esteem. Adaptation to college refers to the student's ability to cope with the stress that college brings in terms of academics, roommates and social situations.
Wintre and Yaffe (2000) studied adaptation to college in relation to parental relationships, and psychological well-being variables in both male and female freshmen. It was hypothesized that the current relationship between parent and student and psychological well-being (depression, perceived stress and self-esteem) would affect student adaptation and achievement. Results indicated an increase in depressive symptomatology predicted poorer adaptation for both male and female students. It also indicated that self-esteem in winter was a positive indicator of female adjustment because after six months of being at college high self-esteem females experienced higher adaptation even if their initial reaction was not positive. Adjustment does not occur overnight, it is a gradual process and it may be that in winter students have adapted well to the demands of college and have made a close social network of friends, which only adds confidence and builds self-esteem.
Aspinwall and Taylor (1992) examined the impact that self-esteem, optimism, locus of control and a desire for control on psychological adjustment to college, health, motivation and academic performance and wanted to see if different coping styles yielded to better adaptation. Results found that optimism has a direct and positive effect on adjustment to college and also found that higher self-esteem predicted less use of avoidant coping strategies, which leads to less successful adjustment to college. Results of this study also indicated that social support also predicted better adjustment to college. This study supports the notion that there is a positive relationship between adaptation to college and self-esteem.
The media seem to have a negative impact on body satisfaction, particularly in women. Martin and Kennedy (1993) report the media's portrayal of thin, beautiful women may negatively influence perceptions of body image and may lead to a decline in self-esteem. Other research indicates that when college women compare themselves with media images it can result in elevated standards for attractiveness which in turn leads to reduced satisfaction with their own image (Ritchins, 1991). This is detrimental because many times pictures in magazines are airbrushed and in reality when women compare themselves to these images they are simply comparing their own image to one that truly does not exist.
Lavine and Sweeney (1999) attempted to demonstrate if sexist television advertisements caused increased body dissatisfaction among both women and men. It was hypothesized that women exposed to sexist advertisements would portray their own body size as being larger, would perceive a greater discrepancy between ideal and actual body size and would prefer a smaller body. These researchers felt it was expected that portrayals of beautiful women in television advertisements may play a causal role in shaping women's perception of and satisfaction with their own bodies. This may reinforce a woman's belief that society emphasizes thinness and may force a woman to be more concerned with her image than she should be. Lavine and Sweeney hypothesized that if men were exposed to sexist advertisements they would judge their current body size as thinner and reveal a larger discrepancy between actual and ideal body size (preferring a larger size). Finally, men would reveal a larger discrepancy between own ideal size and perceptions of other males' size preferences (larger). Results cited evidence that women's exposure to sexist television advertisements caused them to perceive their body as being larger than it actually was and proved their hypothesis correct. They also claim that their results suggest that depression and loss of self-esteem may have an indirect impact on exposure of sexist advertisements. However, men rated themselves as being smaller than the ideal after exposure to sexist advertisements. This evidence seems to suggest that gender differences do indeed exist as Grogan (1997) reports that the correlation between high self-esteem and body satisfaction is higher for women than for men possibly because appearance is more important for women in western culture.
MethodReturn to top
Participants were tested in mid October in a mid sized classroom in the psychology building of a small, Catholic, liberal arts college. Five male and eleven female freshmen took part in this study. The SACQ (1989), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965) and the BES (1984) were administered after the participants read, signed and handed in the standard consent form. The SACQ was administered first. Participants were told to fill out the questionnaire to the best of their knowledge. This questionnaire was administered first because it took the longest to complete. Next participants were randomly administered either the Rosenberg or the BES because they are much shorter questionnaires.
The main hypothesis of this study was that a relationship would exist among the variables of early adaptation to college, body satisfaction and self-esteem. A second hypothesis predicted that males would yield higher scores than females on these variables. The SACQ, BES and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale were the instruments used to measure the variables. In order to investigate a possible relationship among these variables, a Pearson Product Moment Correlation was computed between the SACQ and all of its subscales, the BES and its subscales and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale for all the participants and within each gender. The between groups analysis revealed that a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and the full score of the SACQ (r = .646, p < .01). A significant positive relationship was also found between personal/emotional adjustment and self-esteem (r = .708, p< .01). A significant positive correlation was also found between social adjustment and self-esteem (r = .559, p < .05). These results partially support the first hypothesis, however it does not support a relationship between all three variables of early adaptation to college, body satisfaction, and self-esteem. (See Table 2 for list of correlations).
In order to investigate a possible relationship among these variables, a Pearson Product Moment Correlation was computed between the SACQ and all of its subscales, the BES and its subscales and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale for all the participants and within each gender. The between groups analysis revealed that a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and the full score of the SACQ (r = .646, p < .01). A significant positive relationship was also found between personal/emotional adjustment and self-esteem (r = .708, p< .01). A significant positive correlation was also found between social adjustment and self-esteem (r = .559, p < .05). These results partially support the first hypothesis, however it does not support a relationship between all three variables of early adaptation to college, body satisfaction, and self-esteem.
A within group analysis for females using a Pearson Moment Correlation found a positive significant relationship between self-esteem and the full-scale SACQ (r = .732, p < .05). A significant, positive relationship was also found between self-esteem and academic adjustment (r = .710, p < .05). A significant, positive relationship was found again between self-esteem and personal-emotional adjustment (r = .791, p < .01). Among the variables self-esteem and weight concern, a significant, positive relationship was found (r = .627, p < .05). Among the full-scale SACQ and weight concern a near significant, positive relationship was found (r = .530, p = .10). A near significant positive relationship was also found between social adjustment and weight concern (r = .575, p = .10).
DiscussionReturn to top
This current study attempted to find a relationship between early adaptation to college and body satisfaction in relation to self-esteem. The main hypothesis was that higher self-esteem would have a significant relationship with adaptation to college and body satisfaction. A second hypothesis was that men would have higher esteem than women, mainly because there is not as much pressure for men to be thin compared with women.
Results partially supported the first hypothesis that higher self-esteem would yield to better adaptation to college in the first few months. These results indicate that participants are adjusting well psychologically and are better able to cope with college. These students may participate in extracurricular activities or may have found a social network of friends. However, significance was not a factor in relation to body satisfaction nor was there significant differences in gender. A Pearson Product Moment Correlation was computed within gender. While there were not any significant findings for males, results found that females with high self-esteem adapted better to college academically, personal-emotionally and socially. These findings suggest that females expect to do well in college (since at the time the study was conducted it was early in the semester and it is unlikely that participants were aware of academic standing), are coping well psychologically and are satisfied with the college environment. An analysis for body satisfaction in relation to adaptation to college and self-esteem was computed for females and near significance was found. There is a trend towards better adjustment and weight-concern (subscale of the BES) in terms of the full-scale SACQ and social adjustment.
ConclusionReturn to top
The findings of this current study support the previous literature on adaptation to college and its relationship with self-esteem. Higher self-esteem does impact adjustment to college for the better (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992). Past literature has found that media images may cause a decrease and self-esteem and a decrease in body satisfaction (Wilcox & Laird, 2000). While this current study did not find a direct relationship among the variables adaptation to college, self-esteem and body satisfaction there does seem to be an indirect relationship. Adaptation to college and body satisfaction are both affected by the level of self-esteem an individual possesses and self-esteem is the link between these variables. It is logical to assume that one with higher esteem would adjust better to college as seen in previous research (Bettencourt et al., 1999) and higher esteem may lead to higher levels of body satisfaction (Lavine and Sweeney, 1999). This current study found near significance between self-esteem and body satisfaction in females, a larger sample in future research may find a significant relationship and a more equal group of males and females may find gender differences among these variables. Research in this area should be continued to find if a relationship among these variables do exist because it is beneficial for colleges to be aware of what affects adaptation to college so administers can make the transition much easier for its students.
ReferencesReturn to top
Aspinwall, L. & Taylor, S. (1992). Modeling cognitive adaptations: A longitudinal investigation of the of the impact of individual differences and coping on college adjustment and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63,(6), 989-1003.
Baker, R., .& Siryk, B. (1989). Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire.
Bettencourt B. Ann, Charlton, K., Eubanks, J., Kernahan, C., & Fuller, B. (1999). Development
of Collective self-esteem among students predicting adjustment to College. Basic and Applied
Social Psychology, 21(3), 213-223.
Franzoi, S., Shields, S. (1984). The body esteem scale: Multidimensional structures and sex
sex differences in college population. Journal of Personality Assessment, 48(2), 173-178.
Grogan, S. (1999). Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women
and Children. London: Routledge Press.
Lavine, H., & Sweeney, D. (1999). Depicting Women as Sex Objects in television Advertising:
Effects on Body Satisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,25(8), 1049-1059.
Martin, M., Kennedy, P. (1993). Depicting Women as Sex Objects in Television advertising:
Effects on Body Dissatisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(8), 1049-1058.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem
Scale. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Wilcox, K., & Laird, J. (2000). The impact of media images of super slender women on Women's
self-esteem: Identification, social comparison, and self-perception. Journal of Research in
in Personality,34(2), 278-286.
Wintre, M., Yaffe, M. (2000). First-Year Students' Adjustment to University Life as a Function of
Relationships with Parents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(1) 9-38.
Relevant Links
Saint Anselm CollegeKey TermsReturn to top
body satisfaction, adaptation to college, self-esteem, college students