The findings revealed differences in self-evaluation based on both sex and age; females had higher self-esteem than males, and younger adolescents had higher self-esteem than older ones. The contribution of significant others to the development of self-esteem decreased with age for the males, whereas the females displayed a reverse pattern. Boys were more likely to be influenced by others' opinions of them, and their activities and friends outside of school were more important, while girls were more oriented towards their role in school. However, for both sexes, mothers influenced self-evaluation around the age of 15, while friends become more important during later adolescence. Future research with a more precise instrument is needed to validate these results. 1 table and 14 references