Self-determination as a source of self-esteem in adolescence

This research examines the effects of the sense of self-determination in three spheres of male adolescents' lives (the family, the school, and the workplace) on positive self-esteem, using five waves of panel data from the Youth in Transition study (grade 10 to five years after high school). Though the self-concept literature has emphasized social sources of self-evaluation, these analyses point to the importance of generalization and attribution processes. It is concluded that the same kinds of experiences that have been found to foster positive psychological outcomes in adulthood - personal discretion in decision making and interesting challenging tasks - have developmental significance in adolescence as well.