The Change in Self-Esteem among Middle School Students in Japan, 1989-2002

Abstract

This paper examined temporal changes in self-esteem among middle school students in Japan from 1989 to 2002. Previous research showed that self-esteem decreased among middle school students between 1999 and 2006. However, it was unclear whether such a decrease was also present in other periods of time. To obtain a better understanding of how people adapt to socio-economic environments, it is important to gain a more comprehensive view of such long-term cultural/social changes. Therefore, to supplement the findings of the existing research on changes in self-esteem, we analyzed large-sample time-series data collected in Japan in 1989 and 2002. We found that middle schoolers' self-esteem decreased from 1989 to 2002, consistent with previous research. Thus, our study extends the previous research by presenting additional data showing the decrease in self-esteem in Japan.

Temporal Changes in Individualism and Their Ramification in Japan: Rising Individualism and Conflicts with Persisting Collectivism

“…In the U.S., it increased over time (e.g., Twenge and Campbell, 2001 ; Gentile et al, 2010 ). In contrast, in Japan, it decreased (Oshio et al, 2014 ; Ogihara, 2016c ; Ogihara et al, 2016 ) 6 .…”

“…This phenomenon in Japan is intriguing and thought-provoking because, at a first glance, it seems paradoxical. Specifically, considering that Japanese culture has become more individualistic, it would be expected that self-esteem has increased, but it has actually decreased (for a more detailed discussion, see Ogihara, 2016c ; Ogihara et al, 2016 ). Why has self-esteem decreased rather than increasing in Japan?…”

The Developmental Trajectory of Self-Esteem Across the Life Span in Japan: Age Differences in Scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale From Adolescence to Old Age

“…Naturally, the developmental pattern is different because the time periods covered in the surveys are significantly different ( Tables 1, 2). Moreover, previous research has shown that the average levels of self-esteem decreased over time in Japan [ (23)(24)(25); for a review of historical changes in self-esteem in Japan see Ogihara (26)]. Thus, the self-esteem score should not be simply averaged across the surveys that were conducted over nine years.…”

“…In fact, the absence of a drop in self-esteem in Japan might be caused by the cohort effect. Specifically, older cohorts might have higher self-esteem and younger cohorts might have lower self-esteem ( 23 – 26 ), which might obscure the drop of self-esteem in Japan. Thus, in the future, it is necessary to analyze longitudinal data which can distinguish between age differences and cohort differences.…”

The Psychology of Cultural Dynamics: What Is It, What Do We Know, and What Is Yet to Be Known?

“…Cross-temporal meta-analyses of Rosenberg's self-esteem reveal a declining trend in both China (Liu & Xin, 2015;Xin, Niu, & Chi, 2012) and Japan (Oshio, Okada, Mogaki, Namikawa, & Wakita, 2014). Ogihara and his colleagues (Ogihara, 2016;Ogihara, Uchida, & Kusumi, 2016) also found declining self-esteem over time in surveys of Japanese students and young adults.…”