Responsible Over-Adaptation in Adolescence and Early Adulthood:

A Novel Approach Examining Its Relation to Self-Esteem

Abstract

[Purpose]

  Over-adaptation has been considered a type of school refusal. The author defined a new type of over-adaptation (responsible over-adaptation) that does not include the self-inhibition assumed in conventional over-adaptation. In conventional over-adaptation, internal maladaptation has been considered due to a discrepancy between self-esteem (i.e., contingent self-esteem and the sense of authenticity). This study examined whether a discrepancy between the two types of self-esteem is found in responsible over-adaptation.

[Methods]

  A web-based survey was conducted among men and women in their late teens to twenties. Subsequently, responses from 139 individuals (M=24.96 years, SD=3.16) were analyzed.

[Results]

  The relationships between all factors of responsible over-adaptation and contingent self-esteem were positive. Conversely, there was no correlation between the two aspects of external adaptive behavior of responsible over-adaptation and a sense of authenticity. In contrast, a moderate negative correlation was found between over-adaptation harm and a sense of authenticity. Moreover, the responsible over-adaptation group had a higher contingent self-esteem and a lower sense of authenticity than the other groups.

[Discussion and Conclusion]

  This study suggests that similar to conventional over-adaptation involving aspects of self-inhibition, responsible over-adaptation also results in a discrepancy between the two types of self-esteem. Additionally, the responsible over-adaptation group had a lower sense of authenticity than the adapted group, that high external adaptive behavior but low over-adaptation harm. However, the two groups had the same level of contingent self-esteem. Specifically, external adaptive behavior may not cause a lowered sense of authenticity, but some harm cause a decreased sense of authenticity. Furthermore, feeling the same level of contingent self-esteem as the adapted group in the responsible over-adaptation group may be one of the factors that may conceal the decline in the sense of authenticity.