Tracking, grading, and student motivation: Using group composition and status to predict self-concept and interest in ninth-grade mathematics.

Assigning students to different classes on the basis of their achievement levels (tracking, streaming, or ability grouping) is an extensively used strategy with widely debated consequences. The authors developed a model of the effects of tracking on self-concept and interest that integrates the opposing predictions of "assimilation" and "contrast" effects, which specifies teacher-assigned grades as a major mediating variable, and tested it in 2 settings in which track level is clearly associated with different status-systematic tracking as a function of school type (Study 1, N = 14,341 German 9th-grade students) and separate streams within a comprehensive school system (Study 2, N = 3,243 German 9th-grade students). The results support predictions that students' math self-concept and math interest differ as a function of the achievement of their reference group, their own achievement, and their teacher-assigned grades. No systematic association between track level and math self-concept was found once individual student achievement, school-/stream-average achievement, and teacher-assigned grades were controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Causal ordering of physical self-concept and exercise behavior: Reciprocal effects model and the influence of physical education teachers.

Does prior physical self-concept influence subsequent exercise behavior? On the basis of a large sample of physical education classes (2,786 students, 200 classes, 67 teachers) collected early (Time 1) and late (Time 2) in the school year, findings support a reciprocal effects model in which prior physical self-concept and exercise behavior both influence subsequent physical self-concept and exercise behavior. Whereas variables from the theory of planned behavior (TOPB; behavioral intentions, perceived behavioral control, exercise attitudes) also contributed to the prediction of subsequent exercise behavior, the effect of prior physical self-concept was significant for subsequent outcomes after controlling these variables, suggesting that the TOPB should be supplemented with self-concept measures. On the basis of multilevel models, there were systematic differences in these variables for students taught by different teachers that generalized over time and across different classes taught by the same teacher. Support for the reciprocal effects model was robust. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical self-concept and self-esteem mediate cross-sectional relations of physical activity and sport participation with depression symptoms among adolescent girls.

The authors tested whether physical self-concept and self-esteem would mediate cross-sectional relations of physical activity and sport participation with depression symptoms among 1,250 girls in 12th grade. There was a strong positive relation between global physical self-concept and self-esteem and a moderate inverse relation between self-esteem and depression symptoms. Physical activity and sport participation each had an indirect, positive relation with global physical self-concept that was independent of objective measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and body fatness. These correlational findings provide initial evidence suggesting that physical activity and sport participation might reduce depression risk among adolescent girls by unique, positive influences on physical self-concept that operate independently of fitness, body mass index, and perceptions of sports competence, body fat, and appearance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood obesity, gender, actual-ideal body image discrepancies, and physical self-concept in Hong Kong children: Cultural differences in the value of moderation.

Childhood obesity is increasingly prevalent in Western and non-Western societies. The authors related multiple dimensions of physical self-concept to body composition for 763 Chinese children aged 8 to 15 and compared the results with Western research. Compared with Western research, gender differences favoring boys were generally much smaller for physical self-concept and body image. Objective and subjective indexes of body fat were negatively related to many components of physical self-concept, but-in contrast to Western research-were unrelated to global self-esteem and slightly positively related to health self-concept. In support of discrepancy theory, actual-ideal discrepancies in body image were related to physical self-concept. However, consistent with the Chinese cultural value of moderation, and in contrast to Western results, being too thin relative to personal ideals was almost as detrimental as being too fat. The results reflect stronger Chinese cultural values of moderation and acceptance of obesity than in Western culture and have implications for social and educational policy in China. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The reciprocal relationship between physical activity and depression in older European adults: A prospective cross-lagged panel design using SHARE data.

Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the reciprocal nature of the physical activity-depressive symptoms relationship in 17,593 older adults from 11 European countries older adults (M age = 64.07, SD = 9.58) across two-year follow-up. Also, gender and age were examined as potential moderators of this relation. Method: A two-wave cross-lagged panel design and latent change score models with structural equation modeling was used to analyze data. Depressive symptoms were measured at baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2) using the EURO-D scale, capturing the two factors of affective suffering and motivation. Physical activity was measured at T1 and T2 as frequency of moderate physical activity and vigorous physical activity. Results: Cross-sectional latent variable analyses revealed that higher levels of physical activity at T1 and T2 were associated with lower levels of affective suffering and motivation at T1 and T2. Physical activity at T1 was significantly associated with affective suffering and motivation at T2. The relations of depressive symptoms at T1 with physical activity at T2 were not significant. However, a cross-lagged model showed best model fit, supporting a reciprocal prospective relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in older adults. Latent change in depressive symptoms factors was related to latent change in physical activity indicating complex and dynamic associations across time. Conclusions: Regular physical activity may be a valuable tool in the prevention of future depressive symptoms in older adults, and depressive symptoms may also prevent older adults from engaging in regular physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of systematic physical fitness training combined with counseling on the self-concept of college students.

Three groups of 40 college students were each given different treatments in an experiment designed to investigate the effect of systematic physical fitness training combined with counseling on measured self-concept. One experimental group received a fitness program consisting of flexibility training and systematic distance running; a 2nd group received the same physical training plus 1 hr/wk of group counseling designed to reinforce progress made in the fitness program; and a 3rd group (control) received no physical fitness training or counseling. After a 10-wk program, the group receiving fitness training and running made a significant gain in self-concept as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. The Ss were divided into low and high self-concept groups for statistical analysis. It was found that the students who received fitness training and counseling and had low self-concepts on the pretest measure made significant positive changes in self-concept. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Affective variables and school achievement: A study of possible causal influences.

Studied the predictive and causal relationship of affective variables and academic achievement (376 Ss in Grades 3–6), both concurrently and 1 yr later. Affective characteristics studied were general and academic self-concept, academic locus of control, and expectations for future academic achievement (Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, Student's Perception of Ability Scale, Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire, and the Projected Academic Performance Scale) whereas levels of achievement were ascertained by end-of-year grades. The findings indicate that affective variables, especially academic self-concept, made a small but significant contribution to school grades. The data suggest a possible reciprocal interaction between affective characteristics and school achievement. Implications for children experiencing learning difficulties are discussed. (French abstract) (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social class and academic guidance: A social-psychological analysis.

Canadian research has consistently shown that, compared with high social class students, a lower proportion of low social class students have high educational expectations. This difference persists even when the level of mental ability between the 2 groups is the same. To answer the question of why so many low social class students do not have high educational expectations, a sample of 1,329 Grade 8 students were administered Form A of Scale 2 of the Culture Fair Intelligence Test and a measure of academic self-confidence. Results show that academic self-concept played a critical role in the way students developed their educational expectations. Part I found that high social class students had a higher academic self-concept than low social class students, even though both groups had a similar level of mental ability. Using a subsample of low social class students with high mental ability, Part 2 found that such students' perception of guidance information was based more on their academic self-concept than on their mental ability. Their academic self-concept thus operated as a frame of reference for interpreting academic advice. Results thus extend previous research by showing that students' academic self-concept does not necessarily match the level of their mental ability, one consequence being that many low social class students develop low educational expectations even though they have high mental ability. Furthermore, even when academic guidance is offered, many of these students, on the basis of their low academic self-concept, interpret the advice as advocating low educational expectations for them. (French summary) (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social comparison and big-fish-little-pond effects on self-concept and other self-belief constructs: Role of generalized and specific others.

Two studies integrate the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE; negative effects of class-average achievement on academic self-concept, ASC), which is based upon educational psychological research, with related social psychological research that is based on social comparison theory. Critical distinctions are the nature of the social comparison processes that are based on generalized-other (class- or school-average) or individual (target comparison classmate) comparisons, and the nature of self-belief constructs that invoke normative (social comparison) or absolute frames of reference. In a large cross-national study (26 countries; 3,851 schools; 103,558 students), school-average ability negatively affected ASC but had little effect on 4 other self-belief constructs that did not invoke social comparison processes. In Study 2 (64 classes; 764 students), 2 sources of social comparison information (class-average achievement and achievement of an individually selected target comparison classmate) each had distinct, substantial negative effects on agency self-beliefs that invoked social comparison processes but not on metacognitive responses that did not invoke these processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interaction between physical environment, social environment, and child characteristics in determining physical activity at child care.

Objective: To investigate the association between the child-care environment and physical activity of 2- and 3-year-olds. Based on an ecological view of environmental influences on health behavior, we hypothesized that the social and physical environment, as well as child characteristics (age and gender), would show independent and interactive effects on children's physical activity intensity. Design: Observations of physical activity intensity were performed among children (N = 175) at 9 Dutch child-care centers. Aspects of the child-care environment were assessed using the validated Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) Instrument. Multilevel linear regression analyses examined the association of environment and child characteristics with children's activity intensity. Moderation was tested by including interaction terms in the analyses, with subsequent post hoc analyses for significant interaction terms. Main Outcome Measure: Observed child physical activity intensity, measured with the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children—Preschool Version. Results: A large proportion of the observed activities were classified as sedentary, while far fewer observations were classified as moderate or vigorous. Activity opportunities in the physical environment (assessed using EPAO) and prompts by staff and peers were significantly and positively related to physical activity intensity, while group size was negatively related to activity intensity. The influence of the physical environment was moderated by social environment (peer group size), while the social environment in turn interacted with child characteristics (age and gender) in determining activity intensity. Conclusion: Our findings are in line with the ecological perspective regarding environmental influences on behavior, and stress the importance of incorporating the child-care environment in efforts to prevent childhood overweight and obesity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Posttraumatic distress and physical functioning: A longitudinal study of injured survivors of community violence.

This study examines the cross-lagged relationships between posttraumatic distress symptoms and physical functioning, using a sample of 413 persons who were hospitalized for injuries resulting from community violence. Posttraumatic distress was assessed at 1 week, 3 months, and 12 months postinjury, and posttraumatic physical functioning was assessed at 3 months and 12 months. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the prospective relationship between posttraumatic distress symptoms and physical functioning while controlling for demographic characteristics and objective measures of injury severity. Results indicate that posttraumatic distress and physical functioning are reciprocally related. Individuals with high levels of psychological distress at 1 week posttrauma have worse physical functioning at 3 months. Psychological distress at 3 months was not significantly associated with subsequent change in physical functioning at 12 months. Individuals with poor physical functioning at 3 months had higher than expected levels of psychological distress at 12 months. These findings demonstrate a reciprocal relationship between physical and mental health following traumatic injury. Interventions targeting physical recovery may influence subsequent mental health, and therapies aimed at improving early mental health may also have long-term benefits for physical recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept/academic achievement relations: An investigation of dimensionality, stability, and causality.

Examined the relationship between general self-concept, academic self-concept, and academic achievement in 929 high school students, using a LISREL model of causality. Self-concept and achievement were assessed twice in an academic year, using the Self-Esteem Inventory and a self-concept of ability scale. Results indicate that self-concept is multidimensional, hierarchically structured, and stable. Relations among the 3 constructs were moderately stable. General self-concept and academic self-concept were measurable as separate constructs. Findings do not establish causal predominance between self-concept and academic achievement. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term follow-up of physical activity behavior in older adults.

Objective: To examine the contribution of social-cognitive factors (self-efficacy and affect) in predicting long-term physical activity in a sample of older adults (N = 174). Design: A prospective design assessed physical activity and psychosocial variables at 2 and 5 years following a 6-month randomized, controlled exercise trial. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome variable was self-reported physical activity, with previous behavior, self-efficacy, and affect assessed as determinants of physical activity. Results: Covariance modeling analyses indicated that physical activity at Year 2 was the strongest predictor of physical activity at 5-year follow-up. Both self-efficacy and affect at Year 2 were also associated with physical activity at Year 5, as was original treatment condition. Variables accounted for 35% of the variance in Year 5 activity. Conclusion: Older adults with higher levels of physical activity, more positive affect, and higher self-efficacy at Year 2 were more likely to continue to be active at Year 5. This study is one of the longest follow-ups of exercise behavior in older adults and has implications for structuring environments to maximize the maintenance of physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical attractiveness, physical effectiveness, and self-concept in late adolescents

The differential role of various body attitudes in predicting the self-concepts of late adolescents (124 males and 218 females), enrolled in introductory psychology courses, was assessed. Subjects rated 24 body characteristics in terms of 1) how physically attractive they assumed these parts of their bodies were, and 2) how physically effective they assumed them to be; subjects also responded to a short self-concept scale. In accordance with the theory of Erikson (1968) and of McCandless (1970), it was expected that attractiveness attitudes should contribute more to the self-concepts of females than should effectiveness attitudes, while a reverse pattern of interrelatedness was expected for males. Results indicated a higher correspondence between what are seen as attractive body parts and what are viewed as effective body components for males than for females. Moreover, findings from step-wise multiple regression analyses of each sex group's ratings of the body parts for attractiveness and effectiveness, respectively, each with the criterion variable constituting mean self-concept score, were consistent with expectations. For females, the multiple correlation between attractiveness ratings and self-concept was greater than the multiple correlation between effectiveness ratings and self-concept, and more attractiveness variables than effectiveness variables were significant predictors of self-concept. The converse of these findings were obtained with the males' data. The relevance of these results for theories of personality development were discussed.     

Anticipated affective consequences of physical activity adoption and maintenance.

Objective: The expected emotional consequences of future actions are thought to play an important role in health behavior change. This research examined whether anticipated affective consequences of success and failure vary across stages of physical activity change and differentially predict physical activity adoption as compared to maintenance. Design: Using a prospective design over a 3-month period, a community sample of 329 healthy, middle-aged adults were assessed at 2 time points. Main Outcome Measures: Anticipated positive and negative emotions, stage of behavior change (precontemplation [PC], contemplation [C], preparation [P], action [A], maintenance [M]), and level of physical activity. Results: At baseline, anticipated positive emotions were greater in C versus PC, whereas anticipated negative emotions were greater in M versus A and in M versus P. Higher anticipated positive but not negative emotions predicted physical activity adoption and maintenance after 3 months. Conclusion: Although the expected affective consequences of future success and failure differentiated among individuals in the early and later stages of physical activity change, respectively; only the anticipated affective consequences of success predicted future behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body mass index and environmental supports for physical activity among active and inactive residents of a U. S. Southeastern county.

Objective: This study examined the associations between body mass index (BMI) and environmental supports for physical activity in active and inactive adults based on national recommendations for physical activity and walking. Residents of a southeastern community (N = 1,111; ages 18-75 years) were contacted using a random-digit-dial method and were asked about neighborhood and community social and environmental supports for physical activity. Main Outcome Measure: Physical activity was measured using the 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) physical activity module. Results: There was a positive association between higher physical activity and walking levels and lower BMI levels. Trusting neighborhoods having recreational facilities present, and using trails were each associated with twice the odds of being overweight versus obese among those not meeting the national physical activity recommendations. Using trails was also associated with 2.7 times the odds of being overweight as opposed to obese among participants who were not regular walkers. Conclusion: Improving environmental supports for access and use of trails and recreational facilities may be important for future environmental interventions aimed at reducing obesity among inactive individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective reciprocal relations between physical activity and depression in female adolescents.

Objective: Although an inverse correlation between physical activity and depression among adolescents has been found in research, this relation has seldom been examined prospectively. Thus, we tested whether physical activity reduces risk for future escalations in depression and whether depression decreases likelihood of future change in physical activity. Method: Data from a longitudinal study involving annual assessments of 496 adolescent girls (mean age = 13 years, SD = 0.73) followed over a 6-year period were analyzed to address these questions. Results: Using analyses that controlled for several covariates, we found that physical activity significantly reduced risk for future increases in depressive symptoms and risk for onset of major–minor depression. Further, depressive symptoms and major–minor depression significantly reduced future physical activity. However, predictive effects were modest for both. Conclusions: Results support a bidirectional relation between exercise and depression and imply that interventions that increase physical activity may reduce risk for depression among this high-risk population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Causal ordering of academic self-concept and academic achievement: A multiwave, longitudinal panel analysis.

There is surprisingly little sound research on the causal ordering of academic self-concept and academic achievement in longitudinal panel studies, despite its theoretical and practical significance. Data collected in Grades 10, 11, 12, and 1 yr after graduation from high school that were used in this study come from the large (N?=?1,456 students), nationally representative Youth in Transition study (e.g., J. G. Bachman; 1970). It was found that reported grade averages in Grades 11 and 12 were significantly affected by academic self-concept measured the previous year, whereas prior reported grades had no effect on subsequent measures of academic self-concept. The results provide one of the few defensible demonstrations of prior academic self-concept influencing subsequent academic achievement, and the study appears to be methodologically stronger than previous research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of selected movement skills on positive self-concept

36 boys and 36 girls in 4 fourth grades were exposed to basketball movement conditions which included the skills of dribble, chest pass, lay-up, pivot, guarding, and two-hand set shot. Eight 1/2-hr. treatment periods were spread evenly over 4 wk. and took place within the regularly assigned school physical education period. Two class groups, which included 9 boys and 9 girls each, were randomly assigned by class to an experimental group which received treatment while two class groups were assigned by class to the control group. No differences between changes in self-concept as estimated by the Piers-Harris scale for treatment and control conditions were significant.     

Differential physical and psychological effects of exercise.

Evaluated the physical and psychological benefits of an 8-wk individualized exercise program for 83 adults (aged 22–75 yrs). The 49 Ss who completed the program differed from the 34 dropouts on preexercise data only on persistence (i.e., the pretest time spent in exercise), which indicated a possible motivational difference. Those who completed the program showed statistically significant improvements in terms of persistence, fitness, and physical self-concept and also showed reduced psychological tension (as measured by the Profile of Mood States). Persistence correlated significantly with vigor, and fitness correlated significantly with both vigor and physical self-concept. Analysis of Ss categorized by initial levels of fitness and stress showed that changes in stress following exercise occurred only for those who were below the mean of the sample both physically and psychologically prior to beginning the exercise program. Strategies to motivate those clients who may benefit most from therapeutic exercise programs as an adjunct to stress management are discussed. (49 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)