Development of collective self-esteem among students: Predicting adjustment to college

This study investigates whether collective self-esteem predicts adjustment in a particular domain. We measured collective self-esteem as it relates to students' memberships in their residence halls. Our adjustment measures in cluded social and academic adjustment to college, as well as grade point av erage. Measures were taken at two different time periods during an academic year. The results showed that academic adjustment at the end of the Ist ye ar in college was predicted by development in collective self-esteem. Moreo ver, development in collective self-esteem was associated with improvements in adjustment to college from the 1 st semester to the second semester. Im plications of these findings are discussed in terms of their ramification f or students' academic adjustment, as well as for understanding the role of positively valued group memberships in general well-being.