The Influence of Locus of Control on the Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Peer Approval.

While research has indicated that parents play a major role in determining a child's self-esteem, less is known about how peers affect children's self-esteem. Past research has shown that how popular and well liked a child is generally has a positive relationship with her level of self-esteem. However, little is known about what variables may mediate how peer approval influences self-esteem. This study investigated the possibility that the relationship between self-esteem and peer approval may differ between children with an internal locus of control and children with an external locus of control. The hypotheses this study tested were: (1) that a child's locus of control for success and a child's locus of control for failure affected the relationship between self-esteem and peer approval; (2) that there would be a relationship between peer approval and locus of control for success and locus of control for failure; and (3) that there would be a relationship between self-esteem and locus of control for success and locus of control for failure. To investigate these hypotheses, two classes each of fourth graders (N = 44), fifth graders (N = 50), and sixth graders (N = 50) were administered the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Simmons Self-Esteem Scale, and two sociometric measures, one of liking and of popularity. Multiple regression was used to test the hypotheses that locus of control affected the relationship between self-esteem and peer approval. The regressions indicated that a child's locus of control orientation did not significantly affect the relationship between self-esteem and peer approval. The results of analyses on the remaining hypotheses indicated that locus of control and peer approval were not significantly related. Self-esteem had a positive relationship with locus of control for success (r = .23, p < .01) and a negative relationship with locus of control for failure (r = -.16, p < .05).PhDEducational psychologyUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/159188/1/8304500.pd