Latino adolescent pursuit and mother inference of language brokering interaction goals with adolescent self-esteem outcomes

Language brokering has been inconsistently linked to adolescent self-esteem development. We surveyed 100 Latino dyads about the adolescents’ pursuit and mothers’ inference of adolescent language brokering interaction goals. In line with sociometer theory, adolescents had higher self-esteem when they pursued goals related to respecting the mother and English speaker, and when mothers inferred adolescents pursued goals related to respect. Adolescents reported the least self-deprecation when they reported high pursuit of respect goals and mothers simultaneously inferred high adolescent respect goals. Adolescents with better Spanish abilities were more likely to pursue most goals, and mothers were more likely to infer all adolescent goals when adolescents brokered more frequently. Implications for sociometer theory, language brokering, and relational partners’ goal pursuit and inference are discussed.