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Need for Approval and Children's Well‐Being
Author(s) -
Rudolph Karen D.,
Caldwell Melissa S.,
Conley Colleen S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00847_a.x
Subject(s) - psychology , social approval , self worth , social anxiety , well being , construct (python library) , context (archaeology) , developmental psychology , social psychology , anxiety , face (sociological concept) , clinical psychology , self esteem , psychiatry , paleontology , social science , sociology , computer science , psychotherapist , biology , programming language
This research examined the hypothesis that a tendency to base one's self‐worth on peer approval is associated with positive and negative aspects of children's well‐being. A sample of 153 fourth through eighth graders (9.0 to 14.8 years) reported on need for approval, global self‐worth, social‐evaluative concerns, anxiety and depression, and exposure to victimization. Teachers reported on social behavior. Results confirmed that need for approval is a two‐dimensional construct composed of positive (enhanced self‐worth in the face of social approval) and negative (diminished self‐worth in the face of social disapproval) approval‐based self‐appraisals. Need for approval had trade‐offs for well‐being that depended on the dimension (positive vs. negative), the psychological domain (emotional vs. social adjustment), children's sex and age, and children's social context (high vs. low peer victimization).