Original Research
Time Series Relationships Between Social Support and Self-esteem among University Students
2016 Volume 19 Issue 1 Pages 48-59
Details
2016 Volume 19 Issue 1 Pages 48-59
[Purpose]
Using a short longitudinal method, this study examined time series relationships between social support and self-esteem among university students.
[Methods]
Social support (measuring expectancy of social support from father, mother, sibling, teacher, and friend/acquaintance) and self-esteem scales were twice administered to 184 Japanese university students with an approximately 3-month interval (first investigation, Time 1; second investigation, Time 2).
[Results]
Results showed significant and positive correlations between social support by father, mother, sibling, and friend/acquaintance and self-esteem at both Time 1 and Time 2. Using a cross-lagged effect model, results also indicated that self-esteem at Time 1 had a significantly positive influence on social support from mother and friend/acquaintance at Time 2, while there were no significant time series relationships between social support from father, sibling, and teacher and self-esteem at Time 1 and Time 2.
[Discussion/Conclusion]
The study provided new evidence that self-esteem among university students had a significantly positive influence on social support by mother and friend/acquaintance after about 3 months. While the study importantly implied clarification about the little-studied time series relationships between social support and self-esteem, longitudinal data at long intervals would be required to generalize findings.
