Guilt and School Satisfaction among Turkish Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Self-esteem

In this research, structural equation modeling was performed to investigate the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationships between guilt and school satisfaction in adolescents. Three hundred twenty-nine adolescents (51.1% girls, 49.9% boys; M age = 13.64 yr., SD age = 1.47) were recruited as participants from middle and high schools in Turkey. Data were collected via the Children’s Overall Satisfaction with Schooling Scale and the Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale. Findings indicated that guilt was negatively associated with self-esteem and school satisfaction. Structural equation modelling revealed that self-esteem has a mediator role between guilt and school satisfaction. The results also confirmed that guilt predicted school satisfaction mediated by self-esteem via bootstrapping procedure. The results of the research suggest that self-esteem, among adolescents with a lower feeling of guilt, may help to increase school satisfaction. Therefore, interventions targeting reducing feeling of guilt may be effective to increase school satisfaction through self-esteem in adolescents. Implications for future direction and limitations of the current research are also offered.

___

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). DSM 5. American Psychiatric Association. Amodio, D. M., Devine, P. G., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2007). A dynamic model of guilt implications for motivation and self-regulation in the context of prejudice. Psychological Science, 18(6), 524-530.
  • Baker, J. A. (1998). The social context of school satisfaction among urban, low-income, African American students. School Psychology Quarterly, 13, 25–44.
  • Baker, J. A. (1999). Teacher–student interaction in urban at-risk classrooms: Differential behavior, relationship quality, and student satisfaction with school. Elementary School Journal, 100, 57–70.
  • Brandon, N., (1994). Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. 1st ed. New York: Bantam Books.
  • Chen, W., Niu, G. F., Zhang, D. J., Fan, C. Y., Tian, Y., & Zhou, Z. K. (2016). Socioeconomic status and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: Analysis of self-esteem as a mediator and optimism as a moderator. Personality and Individual Differences, 95, 105-109.
  • Chui, W. H., & Wong, M. Y. (2016). Gender differences in happiness and life satisfaction among adolescents in Hong Kong: Relationships and self-concept. Social Indicators Research, 125(3), 1035-1051.
  • Coffman, D. L., & MacCallum, R. C. (2005). Using parcels to convert path analysis models into latent variable models. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 40(2), 235-259.
  • Cohen, T. R., Wolf, S. T., Panter, A. T., & Insko, C. A. (2011). Introducing the GASP scale: A new measure of guilt and shame proneness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 947-966.
  • Costa, S., Gugliandolo, M. C., Barberis, N., & Larcan, R. (2016). The mediational role of psychological basic needs in the relation between conception of god and psychological outcomes. Journal of Religion and Health, 55(1), 1-15.
  • Cvencek, D., Fryberg, S. A., Covarrubias, R., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2018). Self‐concepts, self‐ esteem, and academic achievement of minority and majority north American elementary school children. Child Development, 89(4), 1099-1109.
  • Danielsen, A. G., Breivik, K., & Wold, B. (2011). Do perceived academic competence and school satisfaction mediate the relationships between perceived support provided by teachers and classmates, and academic initiative?. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 55(4), 379-401.
  • Donnellan, M. B., Trzesniewski, K. H., Robins, R. W., Moffitt, T. E., & Caspi, A. (2005). Low self-esteem is related to aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. Psychological Science, 16(4), 328-335.
  • Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542–575.
  • Diener, E., & Diener, M. (1995). Cross-cultural correlates of life satisfaction and self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(4), 653–663.
  • Doron, G., Kyrios, M., & Moulding, R. (2007). Sensitive domains of self-concept in ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder: Further evidence for a multidimensional model. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21, 433-444
  • Dryden, W., (2009). Understanding Emotional Problems: The REBT Perspective. 1st ed. USA: Routledge.
  • Duchesne, A. P., Dion, J., Lalande, D., Bégin, C., Émond, C., Lalande, G., & McDuff, P. (2017). Body dissatisfaction and psychological distress in adolescents: Is self-esteem a mediator?. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(12), 1563-1569.
  • Finney, S. J., & DiStefano, C. (2006). Non-normal and categorical data in structural equation modeling. In G. R. Hancock, & R. O. Mueller (Eds.), Structural Equation Modeling. A Second Course (pp. 269–314). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing
  • Gausel, N., & Leach, C. W. (2011). Concern for self-image and social image in the management of moral failure: Rethinking shame. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41(4), 468-478.
  • Gilbert, P., (2001). Overcoming Depression. A Step-By-Step Approach to Gaining Control Over Depression. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
  • Hudson, W. (1996). Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale (MAAS). Tempe, AZ: WALMYR.
  • Huebner, E. S., & McCullough, G. (2000). Correlates of school satisfaction among adolescents. The Journal of Educational Research, 93(5), 331-335.
  • Huebner, E. S., Valois, R. F., Paxton, R. J., & Drane, J. W. (2005). Middle school students’ perceptions of quality of life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 15–24.
  • Huebner, E.S., Ash, C., & Laughlin, J.E. (2001). Life experiences, locus of control, and school satisfaction in adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 55, 167–183.
  • Huebner, E.S., Drane, J.W., & Valois, R.F. (2000). Levels and demographic correlates of adolescent life satisfaction reports. School Psychology International, 21, 218–292.
  • Hui, E. K. P., & Sun, R. C. F. (2010). Chinese children’s perceived school satisfaction: the role of contextual and intrapersonal factors. Educational Psychology, 30(2), 155–172.
  • Iacobucci, D., Saldanha, N., & Deng, X. (2007). A meditation on mediation: Evidence that structural equations models perform better than regressions. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 17(2), 140-154.
  • Kapıkıran, Ş. (2013). Loneliness and life satisfaction in Turkish early adolescents: The mediating role of self esteem and social support. Social Indicators Research, 111(2), 617-632.
  • Karatzias, A., Power, K. G., Flemming, J., Lennan, F., & Swanson, V. (2002). The role of demographics, personality variables and school stress on predicting school satisfaction/dissatisfaction: Review of the literature and research findings. Educational Psychology, 22, 33–50.
  • Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Lewis, H. B. (1971). Shame and guilt in neurosis. New York: International Universities Press.
  • Luo, Y., Zhu, R., Ju, E., & You, X. (2016). Validation of the Chinese version of the MindWandering Questionnaire (MWQ) and the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between mind-wandering and life satisfaction for adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 92, 118-122.
  • Luyten, P., Fontaine, J. R., & Corveleyn, J. (2002). Does the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) measure maladaptive aspects of guilt and adaptive aspects of shame? An empirical investigation. Personality and Individual Differences, 33(8), 1373-1387.
  • Ozdemir, S., & Sezgin, F. (2011). Primary school students’ perceptions of principal and teacher support, perceived violence, and school satisfaction. Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education, 12(2), 181-199.
  • Ozmete, E., & Koğar, H. (2015). Çok Boyutlu Ergen Değerlendirme Ölçeği (ÇBEDÖ): Türkçe’ye uyarlama çalışması [Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale (MAAS): A study on adaptation to Turkish]. 21. Yüzyılda Eğitim Ve Toplum Eğitim Bilimleri Ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 4(10), 39-58.
  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879-891.
  • Randolph, J. J., Kangas, M., & Ruokamo, H. (2009). The preliminary development of the Children’s Overall Satisfaction with Schooling Scale (COSSS). Child Indicators Research, 2(1), 79-93.
  • Ratelle, C. F., Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., Larose, S., & Senécal, C. (2007). Autonomous, controlled, and amotivated types of academic motivation: A person-oriented analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(4), 734.
  • Rosenberg, M., Schooler, C., Schoenbach, C., & Rosenberg, F. (1995). Global self-esteem and specific self-esteem: Different concepts, different outcomes. American Sociological Review, 141-156.
  • Rosenfeld, L. B., Richman, J. M., & Bowen, G. L. (2000). Social support networks and school outcomes: The centrality of the teacher. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 17(3), 205–226.
  • Strelan, P. (2007). Who forgives others, themselves, and situations? The roles of narcissism, guilt, self-esteem, and agreeableness. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(2), 259-269.
  • Takakura, M., Wake, N., & Kobayashi, M. (2010). The contextual effect of school satisfaction on health‐risk behaviors in Japanese high school students. Journal of School Health, 80(11), 544-551.
  • Telef, B. B. (2014). Turkish adaptation study of Overall School Satisfaction Scale for Children. Journal of Theory and Practice in Education, 10(2), 1-13.
  • Tian, L., Liu, B., Huang, S., & Huebner, E. S. (2013). Perceived social support and school wellbeing among Chinese early and middle adolescents: The mediational role of selfesteem. Social Indicators Research, 113(3), 991-1008.
  • Tilghman-Osborne, C., Cole, D. A., & Felton, J. W. (2010). Definition and measurement of guilt: Implications for clinical research and practice. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(5), 536-546.
  • Verkuyten, M., & Thijs, J. (2002). School satisfaction of elementary school children: The role of performance, peer relations, ethnicity and gender. Social Indicators Research, 59(2), 203-228.
  • Virtanen, T. E., Kiuru, N., Lerkkanen, M. K., Poikkeus, A. M., & Kuorelahti, M. (2016). Assessment of student engagement among junior high school students and associations with self-esteem, burnout, and academic achievement. Journal for Educational Research Online, 8(2), 136-157.
  • Yarcheski, A., Mahon, N. E., & Yarcheski, T. J. (2001). Social support and well-being in early adolescents: The role of mediating variables. Clinical Nursing Research, 10(2), 163-181.
  • Zahn-Waxler, C., & Kochanska, G. (1990). The origins of guilt. In R. A. Thompson (Ed.), & Dientsbier, R. A. (Series Ed.), The 36th annual Nebraska symposium on motivation: Vol. 36. Socioemotional development (pp. 183–257). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
  • Zechmeister, J. S., & Romero, C. (2002). Victim and offender accounts of interpersonal conflict: autobiographical narratives of forgiveness and unforgiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(4), 675.
  • Zullig, K. J., Huebner, E. S., & Patton, J. M. (2011). Relationships among school climate domains and school satisfaction. Psychology in the Schools, 48(2), 133-145.
Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi-Cover
  • ISSN: 1302-1370
  • Başlangıç: 1990
  • Yayıncı: -