Future orientation, academic performance, general and specific self-esteem in adolescence

The objective of this study was twofold: on the one hand, the relationship between future orientation and school performance, general and specific self-esteem (i.e., self-esteem in family life, academic success and environmental control competence) was investigated; on the other, a qualitative approach was adopted to identify the most common hopes, fears and possible selves in the group of adolescents examined. A convenience sample of 302 adolescents completed the Swedish Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Hopes and Fears Questionnaire, the Possible Selves Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and three scales of the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Test. The results show that a positive future is positively predicted by school success and environmental control competence and that school success totally mediates the relationship between school performance and a positive future. A negative future is positively predicted by a negative past and negatively by global self-esteem and the competence of environmental control. Qualitative analyses showed that the themes of school and work most commonly characterize future hopes and fears, whereas possible selves appear to be focused, positively as well as negatively, on school, personality features and peer-relationships. The findings and their clinical implications are discussed in light of the developmental tasks of the period.