Abstract

The present study aimed to examine short-term longitudinal influence of future-oriented goals of college students at the beginning of the semester on levels of self-esteem at the end of the semester (four months later). The moderating role of autonomy was also investigated. Specifically, whether effects of intrinsic and extrinsic types of future-oriented goals on self-esteem could be moderated by the level of autonomy related to developmental tasks of college students was examined. For this purpose, a self-report questionnaire measuring future-oriented goals, autonomy, and self-esteem was administered at the beginning and end of the semester to 162 college students recruited from three universities in South Korea. Results showed that intrinsic future-oriented goals at the beginning of the semester significantly predicted subsequent self-esteem, whereas extrinsic future-oriented goals did not. Additionally, the impact of intrinsic future-oriented goals on subsequent self-esteem was moderated by the level of autonomy. Specifically, intrinsic future-oriented goals only predicted self-esteem when autonomy was low. These findings suggest that considering future-oriented goals and levels of autonomy of college students, who are in early stages of adulthood, might be useful for enhancing their self-esteem.