Mental Conflict and Expectations of Merits and Demerits Associated with Self-Change among Adolescents at Different Educational Levels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the mental conflicts associated with expectations for the merits and demerits of self-change. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1162 adolescents who attended either junior high school, high school, vocational school, or college, and participants responded to items concerning expectations that had been developed in a preliminary survey. The findings of the current study showed that the percentages of students whose responses fit into five clusters of expectations for self-change differed by educational level. Specifically, “low expectations” and “merits of self-maintenance” were common responses in junior high school, “avoidance-avoidance conflicts” was frequent for high school students, and “merits of self-change” and “approach-approach conflicts” were common among vocational school and college students. These educational level differences may be associated with developmental changes that occur with maturation of self-esteem and reflection.