Abstract
This study analyzed the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between social capital and healthy identity development. In addition, it examined differences between adolescents from families with and without economic disadvantages regarding the role of family, school and peer social capital, and self-efficacy on identity development. A total of 571 students in grades 10 through 12 from 22 high schools whose families faced economic difficulties and 1047 school peers whose families were without economic difficulties anonymously completed a series of measures about family, school and peer social capital, self-efficacy, and healthy identity development. Our data suggested that family, school, and peer social capital were simultaneously positively associated with healthy identity development for youth with family economic difficulties; while for youth without family economic difficulties, only school social capital had a direct effect on adolescents’ healthy identity development. Furthermore, self-efficacy mediated family and school social capital for both groups of young people. Findings suggest the importance of investing in self-efficacy and social capital to promote healthy identities in youth development. In addition, the presented differences in the mechanism for impoverished and non-impoverished groups have implications for service design for different groups of young people. This study underscores the importance of considering both ecological and internal resources when identifying protective factors for youth development and the need to compare the mechanisms among youth from families with and without economic difficulties. It also suggests a few new avenues for future research.
Highlights
-
Comparative study on the roles of social capital, self-efficacy, and healthy identity development among youth from families with and without economic difficulties.
-
Family, school, and peer social capital were positively associated with healthy identity development for youth from families with economic difficulties.
-
Only school social capital had a direct effect on adolescents’ healthy identity development for youth without family economic difficulties.
-
Family and school social capital influences healthy identity development through self-efficacy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, G. R., & Marshall, S. K. (1996). A developmental social psychology of identity: understanding the person-in-context. Journal of Adolescence, 19, 429–442. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1996.0041.
Attar-Schwartz, S., Mishna, F., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019). The role of classmates’ social support, peer victimization and gender in externalizing and internalizing behaviors among Canadian youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28, 2335–2346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0852-z.
Babcicky, P., & Seebauer, S. (2016). The two faces of social capital in private flood mitigation: opposing effects on risk perception, self-efficacy and coping capacity. Journal of Risk Research, 20(8), 1017–1037. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2016.1147489.
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: towards a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6402(78)90002-4.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.
Bassani, C. (2006). A test of social capital theory outside of the American context: family and school social capital and youths’ math scores in Canada, Japan, and the United States. International Journal of Educational Research, 45, 380–403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2007.03.001.
Berzonsky, M. D. (1989). Identity style: conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 268–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/074355488943002.
Borchet, J., Lewandowska-Walter, A., Połomski, P., Peplińska, A., & Hooper, L. M. (2020). We are in this together: retrospective parentification, sibling relationships, and self-esteem. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01723-3.
Bowen, N.K., & Guo, S. (2011). Structural equation modeling. Oxford University Press.
Bradley, R. H., & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 371–399. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135233.
Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. J. (1997). The effects of poverty on children. The Future of Children, 7(2), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.2307/1602387.
Brouwer, J., Jansen, E., Flache, A., & Hofman, A. (2016). The impact of social capital on self-efficacy and study success among first-year university students. Learning & Individual Differences, 52, 109–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.09.016.
Brown, C. S. (2017). School context influences the ethnic identity development of immigrant children in middle childhood. Social Development, 26(4), 797–812. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12240.
Byrne, B. M. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS, EQS, and LISREL: comparative approaches to testing for the factorial validity of a measuring instrument. International Journal of Testing, 1, 55–86. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327574IJT0101_4.
Chen, K. H., Lay, K. L., Wu, Y. C., & Yao, G. (2007). Adolescent self-identity and mental health: the function of identity importance, identity firmness, and identity discrepancy. Chinese Journal of Psychology, 49(1), 53–72. https://doi.org/10.6129/CJP.2007.4901.04.
Chen, K. H., & Yao, G. (2010). Investigating adolescent health-related quality of life: from a self-identity perspective. Social Indicators Research, 96, 403–415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9483-0.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. The American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120. https://doi.org/10.1086/228943.
Conger, R. D., & Donnellan, M. B. (2007). An interactionist perspective on the socioeconomic context of human development. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 175–199. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085551.
Côté, J. E. (1996). Sociological perspectives on identity formation: the culture-identity link and identity capital. Journal of Adolescence, 19, 417–428. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1996.0040.
Côté, J. E. (1997). An empirical test of the identity capital model. Journal of Adolescence, 20, 577–597. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1997.0111.
Côté, J.E., & Allahar, A. (1996). Generation on hold: coming of age in the late twentieth century. New York University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/2077298.
Dufur, M. J., Parcel, T. L., & McKune, B. A. (2008). Capital and context: Using social capital at home and at school to predict child social adjustment. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 49, 146–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/002214650804900203.
Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity, youth, and crisis (1st ed.). W. W. Norton. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1969.01740230123023.
Funk, M., Drew, N., & Knapp, M. (2012). Mental health, poverty and development. Journal of Public Mental Health, 11, 166–185. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465721211289356.
Gatti, U., & Tremblay, R. E. (2007). Social capital and aggressive behavior. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 13, 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-007-9059-y.
Han, J., Chu, X. Y., Song, H. C., & Li, Y. (2015). Social capital, socioeconomic status and self-efficacy. Applied Economics & Finance, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.11114/aef.v2i1.607.
Haung, C. & Yang, K. (2014). Peng bei xin li hu zhu zai pin kun da xue sheng xin li bang fu zhong de ying yong yan jiu [The application of peer psychological assistance in the psychological assistance of poor college students]. Jiao Yu Zhi Ye [Education and Vocation], (023), 100–101. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1004-3985.2014.23.044.
Hill, K.A., & Roberts, D.D. (2019). Parent–adolescent communication and social impacts on Black American adolescents’ academic well-being. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01497-3.
Hoffmann, J. P., & Dufur, M. J. (2008). Family and school capital effects on delinquency: substitutes or complements? Sociological Perspectives, 51, 29–62. https://doi.org/10.1525/sop.2008.51.1.29.
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6, 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.
Kline, R.B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). Methodology in the social sciences. Guilford.
Koumoundourou, G. A., Kounenou, K., & Siavara, E. (2012). Core self-evaluations, career decision self-efficacy, and vocational identity among Greek adolescents. Journal of Career Development, 39, 269–286. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845310397361.
La Guardia, J. G. (2009). Developing who I am: a self-determination theory approach to the establishment of healthy identities. Educational Psychologist, 44, 90–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520902832350.
Lam, C. M., Lam, M. C., Shek, D. T. L., & Tang, V. M. Y. (2004). Coping with economic disadvantage: a qualitative study of Chinese adolescents from low-income families. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 16, 343–357. https://doi.org/10.1515/IJAMH.2004.16.4.343.
Lau, M., & Li, W. (2011). The extent of family and school social capital promoting positive subjective well-being among primary school children in Shenzhen, China. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1573–1582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.03.024.
Lichter, D. T., Shanahan, M. J., & Gardner, E. L. (2002). Helping others? The effects of childhood poverty and family instability on prosocial behavior. Youth & Society, 34, 89–119. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118x02034001004.
Liu, Y., & Ngai, S. Y. (2019). The impact of social capital, self-efficacy, and resilience on the prosocial involvement of adolescents from families with and without economic disadvantages. Child Indicators Research, 12, 1735–1757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-018-9607-7.
Meadows, A., & Bombak, A. E. (2019). Yes, we can (No, you can’t): weight stigma, exercise self-efficacy, and active fat identity development. Fat Studies, 8(2), 135–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2019.1550303.
Menon, D. (2020). Influence of the sources of science teaching self-efficacy in preservice elementary teachers’ identity development. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 31(4), 460–481. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2020.1718863.
Parcel, T. L., & Dufur, M. J. (2001). Capital at home and at school: effects on child social adjustment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63, 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2001.00032.x.
Piff, P. K., Kraus, M. W., Côté, S., Cheng, B. H., & Keltner, D. (2010). Having less, giving more: the influence of social class on prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 771–784. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020092.
Reiss, F. (2013). Socioeconomic inequalities and mental health problems in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Social Science & Medicine, 90, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.04.026.
Reynolds, A. D., & Crea, T. M. (2016). Household stress and adolescent behaviours in urban families: the mediating roles of parent mental health and social supports. Child & Family Social Work, 21, 568–580. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12181.
Schwartz, S. J. (2001). The evolution of Eriksonian and, Neo-Eriksonian identity theory and research: a review and Integration. Identity, 1, 7–58. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532706XSCHWARTZ.
Schwartz, S. J., & Petrova, M. (2018). Fostering healthy identity development in adolescence. Nature Human Behaviour, 2, 110–111. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0283-2.
Shek, D. T. L. (2004). Chinese cultural beliefs about adversity: its relationship to psychological well-being, school adjustment and problem behaviour in Hong Kong adolescents with and without economic disadvantage. Childhood, 11, 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568204040185.
Shek, D. T. L., Siu, A. M. H., & Lee, T. Y. (2007). The Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale: a validation study. Research on Social Work Practice, 17, 380–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3557.
Stansfeld, S. A., Haines, M. M., Head, J. A., Bhui, K., Viner, R., Taylor, S. J. C., Hillier, S., Klineberg, E., & Booy, R. (2004). Ethnicity, social deprivation and psychological distress in adolescents: school-based epidemiological study in east London. British Journal of Psychiatry, 185(3), 233–238. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.185.3.233.
Tangeman, K. R., & Hall, S. R. (2011). Self-efficacy in incarcerated adolescents: the role of family and social supports. Child & Youth Services, 32, 39–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2011.553580.
Tsang, S. K. M., Hui, E. K. P., & Law, B. C. M. (2012). Positive identity as a positive youth development construct: a conceptual review. Scientific World Journal, 2012, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/529691.
Vecchio, G. M., Gerbino, M., Pastorelli, C., Bove, G. D., & Caprara, G. V. (2007). Multi-faceted self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of life satisfaction in late adolescence. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 1807–1818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.05.018.
Verhoeven, M., Poorthuis, A.M.G., & Volman, M. The role of school in adolescents’ identity development. A literature review. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 35–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9457-3.
Wang, Z. H., & Deng, Z. Q. (2011). Shen fen ren tong yu xin li cuo wei: Ji yu gao xiao “di er lei pin kun sheng” de shi zheng yan jiu [Identity and psychological dislocation: an empirical study based on “the second type of poor students” in Colleges and Universities]. Chang Sha Li Gong Da Xue Bao: She Hui Ke Xue Ban [Journal of Changsha University of Science and Technology: Social Sciences], 25(4), 118–123. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1672-934X.2010.04.021.
Wang, X. [Xiangdong], Wang, X. [Xilin], & Ma, H. (1999). Xin li wei sheng ping ding liang biao shou ce [Manual of mental health assessment scale] (enlarged ed.). Beijing: Zhong Guo Xin Li Wei Sheng Za Zhi She [Chinese Journal of Mental Health].
Waterman, A.S. (1984). The psychology of individualism. Praeger.
Waterman, A. S. (1990). Personal expressiveness: philosophical and psychological foundations. Journal of Mind & Behavior, 11(1), 47–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167890301007.
Wu, Q., Palinkas, L. A., & He, X. (2011). Social capital in promoting the psychosocial adjustment of Chinese migrant children: interaction across contexts. Journal of Community Psychology, 39, 421–442. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20443.
Yang, J., Yang, Y., Liu, X., Tian, J., Zhu, X., & Miao, D. (2010). Self-efficacy, social support, and coping strategies of adolescent earthquake survivors in China. Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 38(9), 1219–1228. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2010.38.9.1219.
Yang, Q., & Li, F. (2018). Du sheng zi nü zi wo xiao neng gan, zhuan ye ren tong ji zhi ye tong yi xing de guan xi [The Relationship of only child’s self-efficacy, specialty identity and vocational identity]. Zhong Guo Jian Kang Xin Li Xue Za Zhi [China Journal of Health Psychology], 26(3), 459–465. https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2018.03.039.
Yap, S. T., & Baharudin, R. (2016). The relationship between adolescents’ perceived parental involvement, self-efficacy beliefs, and subjective well-being: A multiple mediator model. Social Indicators Research, 126, 257–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-0882-0.
Zhou, F. (2015). Gao xiao pin kun sheng shen fen jian gou, qun ti ren tong yu ying dui ce lue [Identity construction and group identification of poverty-stricken college students and its coping strategies]. Jiao Yu Xue Shu Yue Kan [Journal of Education], (05), 75–81. http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-YANG201505013.htm.
Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The Multidimensional Scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52, 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2.
Author Contributions
Y.L. designed and executed the study, analyzed the data, and wrote the first draft. S.S.Y.N. supervised the study and revise the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This study was funded by The Foundation for Young Talents in Higher Education of Guangdong (Grant No. 2016WQNCX122) and The Madam Tan Jen Chiu Fund, Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The authors’ affiliated university provided IRB approval for the study.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. As the survey was administered at a school setting, inform consent was also obtained from school representatives, usually the school administrator or the participants’ teachers.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, Y., Ngai, S.Sy. Social Capital, Self-Efficacy, and Healthy Identity Development among Chinese Adolescents with and without Economic Disadvantages. J Child Fam Stud 29, 3198–3210 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01833-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01833-y