Disentangling timing and conditions: Trajectories of micro- and macro-processes of self-esteem change across the adult lifespan

人类对积极的自我评价有着与生俱来的渴望，这通常被定义和评估为自尊。自尊一直被认为是人类行为的基本指标，并与收入或抑郁等主要生活结果有关。关于平均水平的轨迹，先前的研究表明，年轻人对自己的看法越来越积极。关于晚年生活，经验研究结果不太一致：一些研究观察到65岁后自尊的平均水平较低，而另一些研究表明老年时自尊的平均水平相对稳定。除了平均水平的轨迹外，围绕这一平均自尊水平的变异性或不稳定与青年时期的健康结果有关，但关于自尊不稳定在晚年生活中的作用的经验知识有限。在我们的总体框架中，我们区分了两种类型的不稳定性，即反应性和变异性，这两种特征都表明了携带相关信息的长期自尊发展。由于受到社会心理学和发展心理学的启发，自尊变化的微观过程尤其被归因于社会情景线索。基于一个总体的概念框架，本研究项目旨在加强我们对成人一生中自尊变化过程及其个体差异的理解，并特别关注晚年生活动态。在这一点上，该项目解决了四个相互关联的研究问题：1)自尊反应性、可变性和发展的模式是什么？2)自尊发展是否与反应性和可变性的微观过程有关？3)自尊变化过程中的个体差异的预测因素是什么？4)与年龄相关的挑战和经历如何塑造自尊变化过程？为了回答这些问题，研究项目将实验研究与不同的纵向数据评估方法结合在一起，样本包括：(A)作为先前研究的参照组的年轻人；(B)处于退休年龄的年轻人；以及(C)面临越来越多的生活挑战的老年人。通过结合不同的评估方法和目标样本，结果将使我们能够测试三个自尊变化过程的总体相互作用。此外，基于实验和现实生活数据的综合结论有助于理解个人和背景条件在塑造自尊变化过程中的作用。一方面，研究结果对成人一生中自我评价过程的内部和人际适应方面的知识有重要影响。另一方面，这种知识对于了解和支持老龄个人和社会的发展和日常生活至关重要。

Humans have an inherent desire for positive self-evaluation, often defined and assessed as self-esteem. Self-esteem has been recognized as fundamental indicator of human behavior and is related to major life outcomes such as income or depression. With respect to mean-level trajectories, previous research suggests that young adults obtain increasingly positive views about themselves. With respect to late life, empirical findings are less consistent: Some studies observed lower mean-levels in self-esteem after age 65, whereas other studies suggested relative mean-level stability in old age. Beside the mean-level trajectory, variability or instability around this average self-esteem level has been related to health outcomes in young adulthood, but empirical knowledge regarding the role of self-esteem instability in late life is limited. In our overarching framework, we differentiate between two types of instability, namely reactivity and variability suggesting both characteristics to carry relevant information for long-term self-esteem development. Being informed by social and developmental psychology, micro-processes of self-esteem change are particularly ascribed to social situational cues. Based on an overarching conceptual framework, the current research project aims to enhance our understanding of processes of self-esteem change across the adult life span and interindividual differences thereof having a specific focus on late life dynamics. In that, the project addresses four interrelated research questions: 1) What are patterns of self-esteem reactivity, variability, and development? 2) Is self-esteem development related to micro-processes of reactivity and variability? 3) What are predictors of interindividual differences in self-esteem change processes? 4) How do age-related challenges and experiences shape self-esteem change processes? To answer these questions, the research project integrates experimental studies with diverse longitudinal data assessment methods on a sample of (a) young adults, as reference group to previous research, (b) young-old, being in the time of retirement, and (c) oldest-old, being confronted with an increasing number of life challenges. By combining the diverse assessment methods and target samples, results will enable us to test the overarching interplay of the three self-esteem change processes. In addition, integrated conclusions based on experimental and real-life data help to understand the role of individual and contextual conditions in shaping processes of self-esteem change. On the one hand, results have important implications for the knowledge on the intra- and interpersonal adaptation of self-evaluative processes across the adult lifespan. On the other hand, such knowledge is essential in understanding and supporting ageing individuals and societies in their development and every-day life.