Intercultural difference in selfconcept, dimension of emotional stability, in the case of adolescents

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The goal of this investigation is to describe self-concept at the dimension of the emotional stability, according to gender and origin. METHOD: We used a quantitative methodology with a non-experimental design, which follows the correlational method restulting in an ex-post-facto study. As an instrument we used the ESEA-2, a review of the SDQ-II of Marsh done by González-Pienda, which studies the different dimensions of the self-concept of adolescents who attend the second year of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) (n=2,701) in the Autonomous Community of Madrid. RESULTS. The results of the descriptive and correlational studies show that in the case of Emotional Stability there are no differences referring to gender, except for the boys of Ecuadorian origin who had more Emotional Stability than the Ecuadorian girls. Nevertheless, we found differences referring to the country or group of origin. We also found significant differences, some of them with negative correlations and others with positive correlations depending on how they valued Spanish culture and their original culture. DISCUSSION. Considering that this dimension of the self-concept implies the degree of stress and concern shown by the students due to different problems which they have to solve during the construction process of the Ego, it is relevant to detect that there are no differences between male and female subjects and this may indicate the efficiency of interventions concerning gender equality. But we detected differences related to nationality or country of origin. Here we found an important relationship between this dimension of the self-concept and the value which they give to their original culture and the Spanish culture. As a conclusion, we find it necessary to design investigations which consider the differences regarding the value of cultures depending on the different origins of the subjects in order to support the implementation of efficient interventions.