Affective Ties to Parents in Early Adulthood and Self-Esteem Across 20 Years

Do relations with parents during the transition from adolescence to adulthood have long-term consequences for self-esteem? We addressed this question with 20-year panel data from 273 youths (age 16-26 at baseline) who participated in the University of Southern California Longitudinal Study of Generations. We found that youths who reported stronger affective ties to parents reported greater self-esteem at baseline and at 17- and 20-year follow-ups. We also found, however, that the long-term association between baseline affection and subsequent self-esteem was due primarily to moderate stability in self-esteem across the transition to adulthood. Our findings support the view that the quality of affective ties to parents during the transition to adulthood has long-term significance for self-esteem among offspring.