Development of Collective Self-Esteem Among Students: Predicting Adjustment to College

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates whether collective self-esteem predicts adjustment in a particular domain. We measured collective self-esteem as it relates to students' memberships in their residence halls. Our adjustment measures included social and academic adjustment to college, as well as grade point average. Measures were taken at two different time periods during an academic year. The results showed that academic adjustment at the end of the 1st year in college was predicted by development in collective self-esteem. Moreover, development in collective self-esteem was associated with improvements in adjustment to college from the 1st semester to the second semester. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of their ramification for students' academic adjustment, as well as for understanding the role of positively valued group memberships in general well-being.