THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT OTHERS POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE STATEMENTS, SELF-TALK AND SELF-ESTEEM

This study reports on a survey conducted with 269 primary school children in Grades 3 to 7 who completed self-report questionnaires measuring the frequency of positive and negative statements made by mother, father, teacher, and peers; their positive and negative self-talk; and their self-esteem. Class teachers also completed the Behavioral Indicators of Self-Esteem (BIOS) scale for each child. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to describe the relationships between these variables. A saturated model, which tested the mediating effect of selftalk between significant othersʹ statements and self-esteem, was tested and modified