Self-esteem and interpersonal difficulties of college students: Influences of self-control and self-concept

This study examined the relationship between self-esteem and interpersonal difficulties of college students and the role of self-concept in that relationship. A secondary goal of the study was to examine the self-control effect on this relationship, via self-concept. College students (n = 650, female = 84.9%; mean age = 19.37 years, SD = 1.4 years) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES: Rosenberg, 1965), the Interpersonal Relationship Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale (IRCDS: Zheng, 1999), the Self-Control Scale-Revised (SCSR: Tan & Guo, 2008), and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS: Fitts, 1965). Path analysis results indicated that a higher self-concept augments the relationship between self-esteem and interpersonal difficulties, reducing the levels of interpersonal difficulties. Additionally, a high sense of self-control strengthened the relationship between self-esteem and self-concept, further reducing the risk for interpersonal difficulties. A sense of self appears to be a latent variable that explains college students' interpersonal relationship outcomes.