SELF-ESTEEM, SOURCE OF INFLUENCE, AND ORIENTATION TOWARD FREEDOM AND SOLIDARITY

With 98 undergraduate students the effects of four factors on orientation toward freedom and solidarity were examined. The four factors were self-esteem, source of influence, age, and social desirability. An analysis of covariance controlling for the effects of social desirability and age yielded a significant main effect only for the self-esteem factor. Subjects with high self-esteem scores rated freedom and solidarity higher than did those with lower self-esteem scores. The other factor contributed to a significant interaction. The difference due to self-esteem was salient among people who attributed their values to parental rather than peer influence.