Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c4f8m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T15:24:16.281Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic and environmental factors affecting self-esteem from age 14 to 17: a longitudinal study of Finnish twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2007

ANU RAEVUORI ,
DANIELLE M. DICK ,
ANNA KESKI-RAHKONEN ,
LEA PULKKINEN ,
RICHARD J. ROSE ,
AILA RISSANEN ,
JAAKKO KAPRIO ,
RICHARD J. VIKEN  and
KARRI SILVENTOINEN
ANU RAEVUORI*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland
DANIELLE M. DICK
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
ANNA KESKI-RAHKONEN
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, USA Obesity Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland
LEA PULKKINEN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
RICHARD J. ROSE
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
AILA RISSANEN
Affiliation:
Obesity Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland
JAAKKO KAPRIO
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland Department of Mental Health, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
RICHARD J. VIKEN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
KARRI SILVENTOINEN
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Anu Raevuori, Department of Public Health, PO Box 41, 00014University of Helsinki, Finland. (Email: anu.raevuori@helsinki.fi)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

We analysed genetic and environmental influences on self-esteem and its stability in adolescence.

Method

Finnish twins born in 1983–1987 were assessed by questionnaire at ages 14 (n=4132 twin individuals) and 17 years (n=3841 twin individuals). Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg global self-esteem scale and analyzed using quantitative genetic methods for twin data in the Mx statistical package.

Results

The heritability of self-esteem was 0·62 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·56–0·68] in 14-year-old boys and 0·40 (95% CI 0·26–0·54) in 14-year-old girls, while the corresponding estimates at age 17 were 0·48 (95% CI 0·39–0·56) and 0·29 (95% CI 0·11–0·45). Rosenberg self-esteem scores at ages 14 and 17 were modestly correlated (r=0·44 in boys, r=0·46 in girls). In boys, the correlation was mainly (82%) due to genetic factors, with residual co-variation due to unique environment. In girls, genetic (31%) and common environmental (61%) factors largely explained the correlation.

Conclusions

In adolescence, self-esteem seems to be differently regulated in boys versus girls. A key challenge for future research is to identify environmental influences contributing to self-esteem during adolescence and determine how these factors interact with genetic influences.

Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 37 , Issue 11 , November 2007 , pp. 1625 - 1633
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I. & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest 4, 1–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biro, F. M., Striegel-Moore, R. H., Franko, D. L., Padgett, J. & Bean, J. A. (2006). Self-esteem in adolescent females. Journal of Adolescent Health 39, 501–507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Block, J. & Robins, R. W. (1993). A longitudinal study of consistency and change in self-esteem from early adolescence to early adulthood. Child Development 64, 909–923.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bouchard, T. J. Jr., Lykken, D. T., McGue, M., Segal, N. L. & Tellegen, A. (1990). Sources of human psychological differences: the Minnesota study of twins reared apart. Science 12, 223–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buhrmester, D., Furman, W., Wittenberg, M. T. & Reis, H. T. (1988). Five domains of interpersonal competence in peer relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 55, 991–1008.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Button, E. J., Sonuga-Barke, E. J., Davies, J. & Thompson, M. (1996). A prospective study of self-esteem in the prediction of eating problems in adolescent schoolgirls: questionnaire findings. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 35, 193–203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caspi, A., Sugden, K., Moffitt, T. E., Taylor, A., Craig, I. W., Harrington, H., McClay, J., Mill, J., Martin, J., Braithwaite, A. & Poulton, R. (2003). Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science 18, 386–389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diener, E. & Diener, M. (1995). Cross-cultural correlates of life satisfaction and self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 68, 653–663.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donnellan, M. B., Trzesniewski, K. H., Robins, R. W., Moffitt, T. E. & Caspi, A. (2004). Low self-esteem is related to aggression, antisocial behaviour, and delinquency. Psychological Science 16, 328–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eaves, L., Heath, A., Martin, N., Maes, H., Neale, M., Kendler, K., Kirk, K. & Corey, L. (1999). Comparing the biological and cultural inheritance of personality and social attitudes in the Virginia 30,000 study of twins and their relatives. Twin Research 2, 62–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furnham, A. & Cheng, H. (2000). Perceived parental behaviour, self-esteem and happiness. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 35, 463–470.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glendinning, A. (1998). Family life, health and lifestyles in rural areas: the role of self-esteem. Health Education 2, 59–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kamakura, T., Ando, J. & Ono, Y. (2001). Genetic and environmental influences on self-esteem in a Japanese twin sample. Twin Research 4, 439–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaprio, J., Pulkkinen, L. & Rose, R. J. (2002). Genetic and environmental factors in health-related behaviors: studies on Finnish twins and twin families. Twin Research 5, 366–371.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kendler, K. S., Gardner, C. O. & Prescott, C. A. (1998). A population-based twin study of self-esteem and gender. Psychological Medicine 28, 1403–1409.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kendler, K. S., Gardner, C. O. & Prescott, C. A. (2002). Toward a comprehensive developmental model for major depression in women. American Journal of Psychiatry 159, 1133–1145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kendler, K. S., Gardner, C. O. & Prescott, C. A. (2006). Toward a comprehensive developmental model for major depression in men. American Journal of Psychiatry 163, 115–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kernis, M. H., Cornell, D. P., Sun, C. R., Berry, A. & Harlow, T. (1993). There's more to self-esteem than whether it is high or low: the importance of stability of self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65, 1190–1204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
LePine, J. A. & Van Dyne, L. (1998). Predicting voice behavior in work groups. Journal of Applied Psychology 83, 853–868.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGuire, S., Manke, B., Saudino, K. J., Reiss, D., Hetherington, E. M. & Plomin, R. (1999). Perceived competence and self-worth during adolescence: a longitudinal behavioral genetic study. Child Development 70, 1283–1296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neale, M. C., Boker, S. M., Xie, G. & Maes, H. H. (2002). Mx: Statistical Modeling. Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychiatry: Richmond, VA.Google Scholar
Neale, M. C. & Cardon, L. R. (1992). Methodology for Genetic Studies of Twins and Families. Kluwer Academic: Dordrecht.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neiss, M. B., Sedikes, C. & Stevenson, J. (2002). Self-esteem: a behavioral genetic perspective. European Journal of Personality 16, 351–367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neiss, M. B, Sedkides, C. & Stevenson, J. (2006). Genetic influences on level and stability of self-esteem. Self and Identity 5, 247–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nirkko, O., Lauroma, M., Siltanen, P., Tuominen, H. & Vanhala, K. (1982). Psychological risk factors related to coronary heart disease. Prospective studies among policemen in Helsinki. Acta Medica Scandinavica (Suppl.) 660, 137–146.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pulkkinen, L., Feldt, T. & Kokko, K. (2005). Personality in young adulthood and functioning in middle age. In Middle Adulthood: A Lifespan Perspective (ed. Willis, S. and Martin, M.), pp. 99–141. Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pulkkinen, L., Vaalamo, I., Hietala, R., Kaprio, J. & Rose, R. J. (2003). Peer reports of adaptive behavior in twins and singletons: is twinship a risk or an advantage? Twin Research 6, 106–118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robson, P. J. (1988). Self-esteem – a psychiatric view. British Journal of Psychiatry 153, 6–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-image. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, M. A., Neale, M. C. & Kendler, K. S. (1995). The genetic epidemiology of self-esteem. British Journal of Psychiatry 166, 813–820.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salmivalli, C., Kaukiainen, A., Kaistaniemi, L. & Lagerspetz, K. (1999). Self-evaluated SE, peer-evaluated SE, and defensive egotism as predictors of adolescents' participation in bullying situations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 25, 1268–1278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarna, S., Kaprio, J., Sistonen, P. & Koskenvuo, M. (1978). Diagnosis of twin zygosity by mailed questionnaire. Human Heredity 28, 241–254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stein, J. A., Newcomb, M. D. & Bentler, P. M. (1986). Stability and change in personality: a longitudinal study from early adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Research in Personality 20, 276–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trzesniewski, K. H., Donnellan, M. B. & Robins, R. W. (2003). Stability of self-esteem across the life-span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84, 205–220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Lier, P. A., Vitaro, F., Wanner, B., Vuijk, P. & Crijnen, A. A. (2005). Gender differences in developmental links among antisocial behavior, friends’ antisocial behavior, and peer rejection in childhood: results from two cultures. Child Development 76, 841–855.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whisman, M. A. & Kwon, P. (1993). Life stress and dysphoria: the role of self-esteem and hopelessness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65, 1054–1060.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, R. L. (2000). A note on robust variance estimation for cluster-correlated data. Biometrics 56, 645–646.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed