Abstract
Japanese junior high school students and 6th grade elementary school students (N=933) participated in a questionnaire survey regarding emotional problems. The study first tested a model in which self-worth mediated the effects of antecedent factors (alienation in the classroom, and teacher attitudes) on emotional problems. The data indicated that classroom alienation was a strong predictor of emotional problems, whereas teacher attitudes did not have a direct influence on emotional problems. In addition, multi-sample analysis revealed a gender difference in this model. The data also indicated that self-worth buffered the influence of classroom alienation on emotional problems. It appears that children with greater self-worth had less emotional problems, despite feeling more alienated.
