Adolescent Self-Consciousness: Longitudinal Age Changes and Gender
Differences in Two Cohorts
Jane L. Rankin,
(2004) Journal of Research on Adolescents, 14(1), 1-21.
Adolescence is frequently described as a period of pervasive
self-consciousness, but an age-realted peak in adolexcence is not consistently
obtained, and higher self-consciousness in girls is frequently obtained but not
predicted by theoretical accounts. Two
cohorts of adolescents (N = 393), initially assessed at 13 and 15, completed
public and private self-consciousness measures 3 times in 4 years. They also reported social comparisons and
social engagement. Public
self-xonsciousness decreased and private self-consciousness increased in both
cohorts, and girls scored higher on both measures, both in longitudinal and
sibling replication samples (n = 188). Pubic
self- consciousness appears to be a normative response to adolescent social
challenges, with girls’ higher levels largely attributable to their closer
social engagement. Private
self-consciousness emerges as an individual difference in adolescence but is
more likely to be salient and predictive of social behavior in adulthood.