The Moderating Role of Physical Competence on the Association Between Social Competence and Self-esteem in Early Adolescence: Exploring Gender Differences.

Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library

This project utilized a structural approach to explore two developmental components of general self-worth (perceived social competence and perceived physical competence) and how they are associated. The specific objective was to determine the extent to which, if any, a child’s perception of their physical competence moderates the association between their social competence and their general self-esteem. 571 young adolescents (mean age = 11.01 years, SD = 1.24) were recruited fromthree distinct cultural locations: Baranquilla, Columbia; Curritiba, Brazil; and Montreal, Canada. The children completed a questionnaire which assessed their general self-worth. The data was then analyzed using SPSS hierarchical multiple regression to determine if perceived physical and social competencies statistically interact with each other in more complex ways than previously assumed, and what those interactions mean for adolescent general self-worth. The analysis results supported two of the project’s three hypotheses. First, as expected, social, physical, and mental competencies were found to have significant and positive association with general self-worth. Second, as expected, there was a significant moderation effect of physical competence on the association between social competence and self-worth. But contrary to expectations, gender only made a slight improvement when introduced into the model. Explanations for both the expected and unexpected results, as well as possible clinical implications conclude the project.