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The determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the Youth Training Scheme

The determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the Youth Training Scheme
The determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the Youth Training Scheme

The value of self-esteem enhancement to psychological well-being and educational performance is widely recognised in educational and psychological literature. Despite this recognition of the importance of self-esteem, an extensive literature review failed to reveal any studies which seek to identify the determinants of self-esteem rather than indicators of it. This omission is particularly noticeable for the 16+ age group. Almost 50 per cent of 1987 school leavers are currently participating in education and training provisions within the Manpower Service Commission's Youth Training Scheme. This group of sixteen year olds clearly represents a very significant part of the school-leaving and working population. This thesis adopts the enhancement of self-esteem as a central aim for education and training provisions for the 16+ age group and addresses the question of the determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the YTS provisions. The thesis considers the methodological problems arising from defining self-esteem as an attitude. A modified form of Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) summation theory formula ΣBE= A, is proposed, and evaluated as a measurement model for self-esteem. The first main research stage operationalised the evaluative parameter of the Fishbeinian formula using esteem-related need variables derived from qualitative interviewing. The results of a survey involving 129 1983 school-leavers is reported. These subjects were participating in education and training provisions within the Youth Training Scheme. Factor analysis of the data indicated separate factor structures for males and females. A six factor solution was adopted for females and a seven factor solution for males. The second stage of the research used the 64 esteem-related need statements from the factor structures for males and females as the basis for a Questionnaire which operationalised the cognitive and affective elements of the summation theory formula. Measures of global self-esteem were provided by established tests, and a measure of psychological well-being was also included. This Questionnaire was administered to 157 1983 school leavers attending provisions within the YTS. Factor analysis of the data from the second stage of the research indicated a four factor solution for males, which accounted for 44.6 per cent of the variation in the data. These factors are Social Adjustment and Integration, Negative Emotions, Social Attractiveness, and Sporting Prowess. Four factors accounted for 48.9 per cent of the variation in the data for females. These are Functional Integration, Negative Emotions. Positive Social Qualities, and Activity and Attraction. When used to represent the left-hand side of the summation theory formula the items from the factor structures were found to have acceptable reliability and predictive and discriminant validity for global self-esteem. The summation theory formula was not found to be more predictive of self-esteem than positive or negative beliefs or positive evaluations alone. The advantage of using the Summation theory formula is demonstrated to derive from the more intimate range of data that is provided by its use. Regression analysis is employed to develop a model of the determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the Youth Training Scheme and to develop a measurement scale for esteem-related needs. The use of this measure for curriculum negotiation and design is discussed. A measure of Subjective Fit is also developed which sums the item products of two scales of Perceived Needs and Course Appraisal. The Perceived Needs scale measures the extent to which young people regard the esteem-related need variables as important (evaluations). The course appraisal scale measures the extent to which a young person feels that those needs are being met (beliefs) by the education or training provision. All these measures require further development by the provision of normative data.(DX83765)

University of Southampton
Marsden, Lynn
bb592685-3186-4811-8ad4-b96a4877faf5
Marsden, Lynn
bb592685-3186-4811-8ad4-b96a4877faf5

Marsden, Lynn (1988) The determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the Youth Training Scheme. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

The value of self-esteem enhancement to psychological well-being and educational performance is widely recognised in educational and psychological literature. Despite this recognition of the importance of self-esteem, an extensive literature review failed to reveal any studies which seek to identify the determinants of self-esteem rather than indicators of it. This omission is particularly noticeable for the 16+ age group. Almost 50 per cent of 1987 school leavers are currently participating in education and training provisions within the Manpower Service Commission's Youth Training Scheme. This group of sixteen year olds clearly represents a very significant part of the school-leaving and working population. This thesis adopts the enhancement of self-esteem as a central aim for education and training provisions for the 16+ age group and addresses the question of the determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the YTS provisions. The thesis considers the methodological problems arising from defining self-esteem as an attitude. A modified form of Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) summation theory formula ΣBE= A, is proposed, and evaluated as a measurement model for self-esteem. The first main research stage operationalised the evaluative parameter of the Fishbeinian formula using esteem-related need variables derived from qualitative interviewing. The results of a survey involving 129 1983 school-leavers is reported. These subjects were participating in education and training provisions within the Youth Training Scheme. Factor analysis of the data indicated separate factor structures for males and females. A six factor solution was adopted for females and a seven factor solution for males. The second stage of the research used the 64 esteem-related need statements from the factor structures for males and females as the basis for a Questionnaire which operationalised the cognitive and affective elements of the summation theory formula. Measures of global self-esteem were provided by established tests, and a measure of psychological well-being was also included. This Questionnaire was administered to 157 1983 school leavers attending provisions within the YTS. Factor analysis of the data from the second stage of the research indicated a four factor solution for males, which accounted for 44.6 per cent of the variation in the data. These factors are Social Adjustment and Integration, Negative Emotions, Social Attractiveness, and Sporting Prowess. Four factors accounted for 48.9 per cent of the variation in the data for females. These are Functional Integration, Negative Emotions. Positive Social Qualities, and Activity and Attraction. When used to represent the left-hand side of the summation theory formula the items from the factor structures were found to have acceptable reliability and predictive and discriminant validity for global self-esteem. The summation theory formula was not found to be more predictive of self-esteem than positive or negative beliefs or positive evaluations alone. The advantage of using the Summation theory formula is demonstrated to derive from the more intimate range of data that is provided by its use. Regression analysis is employed to develop a model of the determinants of self-esteem amongst young people within the Youth Training Scheme and to develop a measurement scale for esteem-related needs. The use of this measure for curriculum negotiation and design is discussed. A measure of Subjective Fit is also developed which sums the item products of two scales of Perceived Needs and Course Appraisal. The Perceived Needs scale measures the extent to which young people regard the esteem-related need variables as important (evaluations). The course appraisal scale measures the extent to which a young person feels that those needs are being met (beliefs) by the education or training provision. All these measures require further development by the provision of normative data.(DX83765)

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Published date: 1988

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Local EPrints ID: 461981
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/461981
PURE UUID: ebc593f5-f632-4ce9-a89e-dd85f6b941b6

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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:59
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 00:34

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Contributors

Author: Lynn Marsden

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