The relationship between height and self-esteem, and the mediating effects of self-consciousness

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between height and self-esteem, and to examine the mediating effects of self-consciousness. Four hundred and seventy-nine college students, 143 males and 336 females, 75% under the age of 21, were administered The Personal Opinion Survey which consisted of demographic information, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Elkind and Bowen's Imaginary Audience Scale. Findings revealed a nonlinear relationship between height and self-esteem. Further, self-consciousness emerged as a significant mediator of the relationship between height and self-esteem, accounting for the difference in male and female self-esteem scores. Moreover, the influence of self-consciousness on the height and self-esteem relationship was revealed greatest for females.