Honors Theses
Advisor
Erin O'Mara Kunz, Ph.D.
Department
Psychology
Publication Date
4-23-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Self-esteem refers to the overall evaluation–positive or negative–that people have about themselves. Researchers have reported self-esteem to be increasing generationally among the general population. The purpose of the proposed study was to examine the association between race, gender, and self-esteem, to test whether levels of self-esteem vary based on one’s identity. Data from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study was analyzed to test for race and gender differences in self-esteem across generational cohorts. The Monitoring the Future Study questionnaire includes elements of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Over 120,000 responses were collected from 12th graders between 1976 and 2022. Results showed that White females have the lowest self-esteem across all decades, while Not White females, Not White males, and White males have shifting self-esteem across the decades. The findings of the present study have crucial implications for understanding the role that race and gender have on average self-esteem. It is important to understand the factors that may influence self-esteem generationally so that psychologists, educators, and health care professionals can effectively adjust their practices for each gender and race.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
eCommons Citation
Donnelly, Ella M., "Examining Gender and Race/Ethnicity Differences in Self-Esteem: A Birth Cohort Analysis Spanning 46 Years" (2025). Honors Theses. 468.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/468
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