ADOLESCENT SELF-REJECTION AND ADULT POLITICAL ACTIVITY - THE MEDIATING INFLUENCE OF ACHIEVED SOCIAL-STATUS

A series of models is estimated to address the relationship between ad olescent negative self-attitudes and adult political participation. Mo dels are estimated in which the relationship between global adolescent self-rejection and adult political participation is mediated by adult achieved social status. As hypothesized, the negative association bet ween adolescent self-rejection and adult political participation is me diated by achieved social status: adolescent self-rejection is related inversely to achieved social status; achieved social status is associ ated positively with political participation. Adolescent and adult sel f-rejection are associated positively with political participation, ne t of the effects of achieved social status. The results are congruent with theoretical expectations that adolescent self-rejection lends to political nonparticipation as adults because of the adverse se effect of early self-rejection on vertical mobility. Independent of these eff ects, however, self-rejection leads to political participation, presum ably as a vehicle for enhancing self-attitudes.