This study investigated whether self-efficacy beliefs measured before the onset of social change would moderate effects of social change on adolescents’ life satisfaction, optimism regarding their future, and educational success. Self-efficacy beliefs of 593 German adolescents were measured between 1985 and 1988 before German unification. In 1992, perceived social change due to unification and outcome variables was assessed. Higher levels of perceived negative social change and lower levels of prior self-efficacy predicted lower levels of life satisfaction and less optimism regarding one’s future after German unification in 1992. In addition, we found that higher self-efficacy buffers negative effects of unification-based change on both psychological outcome variables. However, no interaction effect between perceived social change and self-efficacy was found on the probability of attending the highest school track in 1992.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abrams, D., Hinkle, S., & Tomlins, M. (1999). Leaving Hong Kong? The roles of attitude, subjective norm, perceived control, social identity and relative deprivation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 23, 319-338.
2.
Allen, J. P., Hauser, S. T., Bell, K. L., & O’Connor, T. G. (1994). Longitudinal assessment of autonomy and relatedness in adolescent-family interactions as predictors of adolescent ego development and self-esteem. Child Development, 65, 179-194.
3.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
4.
Bandura, A. (1995). Exercise of personal and collective efficacy in changing societies. In A. Bandura (Ed.), Self-efficacy in changing societies (pp. 1-45). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
5.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
6.
Buschoff, K. S. (1997). Lebensentwürfe, Lebensformen und Lebensqualität: Haushalts- und Erwerbskonstellationen im Ost-West-Vergleich [Life goals, ways of life, and quality of life: East-West comparisons]. Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 26, 352-367.
7.
Cockerham, W. C., Kunz, G., Leuschen, G., & Spaeth, J. L. (1986). Symptoms, social stratification and self-responsibility for health in the United States and West Germany. Social Science and Medicine, 22, 1263-1271.
8.
Coles, B. (2000). Changing patterns of youth transitions: Vulnerable groups, welfare careers and social exclusion. In J. Bynner and R. K. Silbereisen (Eds.), Adversity and challenge in life in the new Germany and in England (pp. 268-288). Houndmills, England: Macmillan.
9.
Conger, R. D., Jewsbury-Conger, K., Matthews, L. S., & Elder, G. H. (1999). Pathways of economic influence on adolescent adjustment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 27, 519-541.
10.
Crockett, L. J. & Silbereisen, R. K. (2000). Social change and adolescent development: Issues and challenges. In L. J. Crockett & R. K. Silbereisen (Eds.), Negotiating adolescence in times of social change (pp. 1-13). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
11.
Cronbach, L. J. (1987). Statistical tests for moderator variables: Flaws in analyses recently proposed. Psychological Bulletin, 102, 414-417.
12.
Diewald, M. (2000). Continuities and breaks in occupational careers and subjective control: The case of the East German transformation. In J. Bynner & R. K. Silbereisen (Eds.), Adversities and challenge in life in the new Germany and in England (pp. 239-267). Houndmills, England: Macmillan.
13.
Eccles, J. S., Wigfield, A., & Schiefele, U. (1998). Motivation to succeed. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child development (5th ed., Vol. 3, pp. 1017-1095). New York: Wiley.
14.
Elder, G. H. (1974). Children of the Great Depression: Social change in life experiences. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
15.
Elder, G., Shanahan, M. J., & Clipp, E. C. (1994). When war comes to men’s lives: Life-course patterns in family, work, and health. Psychology & Aging, 9, 5-16.
16.
Forkel, I., & Silbereisen, R. K. (2001). Family economic hardship and depressed mood among young adolescents from former East and West Germany. American Behavioral Scientist, 44, 1955-1971.
17.
Havighurst, R. J. (1972). Developmental tasks and education. New York: Longman.
18.
Ihle, W., Esser, G., Schmidt, M. H., Blanz, B., Reis, O., & Meyer-Probst, B. (2001). Prevalence, course, and risk factors for mental disorders in young adults and their parents in East and West Germany. American Behavioral Scientist, 44, 1918-1936.
19.
Jerusalem, M., & Mittag, W. (1995). Self-efficacy in stressful life transitions. In A. Bandura (Ed.), Self-efficacy in stressful life transitions (pp. 175-201). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
20.
Juang, L. P., & Vondracek, F. W. (2001). Developmental patterns of adolescent capability beliefs: A person approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59, 34-52.
21.
Kornadt, H.-J. (1996). Erziehung und Bildung im Transformations prozeß [Education in the process of transformation]. In S. E. Hormuth, W. R. Heinz, H. J. Kornadt, H. Sydow, & G. Trommsdorff (Eds.), Individuelle Entwicklung, Bildung und Berufsverläufe [Individual development, education, and careers] (pp. 201-272). Opladen, Germany: Leske + Budrich.
22.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. London: Oxford University Press.
23.
McLanahan, S. S. (1983). Family structure and stress: A longitudinal comparison of two-parent and female-headed families. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 347-357.
24.
Noack, P., Kracke, B., Wild, E., & Hofer, M. (2001). Subjective experience of social change in East and West Germany. American Behavioral Scientist, 44, 1798-1817.
25.
Oettingen, G. (1995). Cross-cultural perspectives on self-efficacy. In A. Bandura (Ed.), Self-efficacy in changing societies (pp. 149-176). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
26.
Pearlin, L. I., Lieberman, M. A., Menaghan, E. G., & Mullan, J. T. (1981). The stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22, 337-356.
27.
Pinquart, M. (1998). Das Selbstkonzept im Seniorenalter [Self-concept in old age]. Weinheim, Germany: Beltz.
28.
Schönpflug, U., & Jansen, X. (1995). Self-concept and coping with developmental demands in German and Polish adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 18, 385-405.
29.
Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (1995). Optimistic self-beliefs as a resource factor in coping with stress. In S. E. Hobfoll & M. W. deVries (Eds.), Extreme stress and communities: Impact and intervention (pp. 159-177). Dodrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer.
30.
Silbereisen, R. K., & Zinnecker, J. (Eds.). (1999). Entwicklung im sozialen Wandel [Development in times of social change]. Weinheim, Germany: Beltz.
31.
Trommsdorff, G. (2000). Subjective experience of social change in individual development. In J. Bynner & R. K. Silbereisen (Eds.), Adversity and challenge in life in the new Germany and in England (pp. 87-122). Houndmills, England: Macmillan.
32.
Wagner, C. & Sydow, H. (1996). Entwicklung und Sozialisation von Jugendlichen vor und nach der Vereinigung Deutschlands [Development and socialization of adolescents before and after German unification]. In S. E. Hormuth, W. R. Heinz, H.-J. Kornadt, H. Sydow, & G. Trommsdorff (Eds.), Individuelle Entwicklung, Bildung und Berufsverläufe [Individual development, education, and careers] (pp. 79-142). Opladen, Germany: Leske & Budrich.
