FAMILY STRUCTURE, FAMILY CONFLICT AND FAMILY COHESION AS PREDICTORS OF SELF-ESTEEM AND IMPULSIVITY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

The development of self-esteem is affected by many variables. Self report questionnaires were completed by 172 college students. The correlations between self-esteem, as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and impulsivity, family structure, family conflict and family cohesion were-determined, (as well as the relation of such variables as age, sex, religious persuasion and the amount of time since parental separation where appropriate). The measures of family conflict and family cohesion were derived from other studies. No relationship was found between self-esteem and family structure, however, self-esteem correlated positively with family cohesion and negatively with family conflict. Impulsiveness and venturesomeness combine to make-up the I(7) impulsivity scale used in this study. Self-esteem and impulsiveness were negatively correlated with each other, and venturesomeness predicted higher self-esteem. In addition, impulsiveness showed a weak but positive correlation with venturesomeness indicating that these two variables may measure different aspects of impulsivity. These results support research on the relationship between family conflict, family cohesion and self-esteem, but contradict some of the research on the relationship between family structure and self-esteem.