The structure of academic self-concept: The Marsh/Shavelson model.

New academic self-concept instruments were used to measure self-concepts in 13 (Grades 5–6) or 16 (Grades 7–10) school subjects and to test the structure of academic self-concept posited in the Marsh/Shavelson model. First-order factor analyses identified the scales each instrument was designed to measure, demonstrating that academic self-concept is remarkably subject-specific. As posited, 2 higher order factors were sufficient to explain relations among core academic subjects, but additional higher order factors were needed to explain other school subjects (e.g., physical education, art, and music). The hierarchy, however, was weak, and much of the variance in specific subject self-concepts was unexplained by the higher order factors. Researchers interested in self-concepts in particular subjects are advised to use self-concept scales specific to those subject areas in addition, perhaps, to other measures of academic self-concept. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Content specificity of relations between academic achievement and academic self-concept.

In extension of research on the H. W. Marsh/R. J. Shavelson (1985) model of self-concept, a set of 14 academic self-concept scales was related to school performances in 8 school subjects for a sample of 507 high school boys. Correlations between matching areas of self-concept and achievement (.45 to .70; mean r?=?.57) were much larger than those typically found in previous research. Path models and multitrait-multimethod analyses demonstrated that self-concept/academic achievement relations were very specific to particular school subjects. The findings indicate that components of academic self-concepts are more differentiated (i.e., less correlated) than are achievement scores and that relations between academic self-concepts and academic achievements are more content specific than has been previously assumed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Replicated item level factor analysis of the full MMPI.

Conducted a comprehensive factor analysis of the full MMPI item pool using recent advances in computational facilities. Nearly 20,000 MMPI protocols were collected from 13–89 yr old psychiatric patients for the analysis; however, invalid records and protocols with more than 50 missing items were discarded. Analyses were computed on a developmental sample of 5,506 Ss and a cross-validation sample of 5,632 Ss. 21 replicated factors were found by using an orthogonal varimax solution. The rotated factors were submitted to several experts on MMPI for factor naming. The consensus obtained on the item factors suggests that this analysis provides an unambiguous picture of the major content dimensions in the MMPI item pool. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors underlying expectancies of success and achievement: The influential roles of need for cognition and general or specific self-concepts.

It has been assumed that task-specific self-concepts are more important than general self-concepts in determining expectancies of success and subsequent achievement. The authors argue here that the influence varies depending on need for cognition (NFC). Findings from Study 1 (N = 104) showed that expectancies of success in an academic task could be predicted from specific self-concept for individuals with a high NFC and from general self-concept for individuals with a low NFC. In Study 2 (N = 193), where cognitive load was manipulated, given a high cognitive load, only general self-concept was predictive of success expectancies, independent of NFC. In Study 3 (N = 197), given a high relevance of correct expectancy ratings, only specific self-concept was predictive of expectancies and actual achievement, independent of NFC. In Studies 4 and 5, the results from Study 1 concerning the prediction of expectancies (as well as achievement) reappeared in a physical and a social domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept: Reliability, stability, dimensionality, validity, and the measurement of change.

In 2 studies, test–retest data (interval approximately 6 mo) were collected comprising measures of preadolescent self-concepts in 7 areas, teachers' ratings of student self-concepts in these same areas, and academic ability. Five 4th-grade, 16 5th-grade, and 14 6th-grade classes were studied. Student self-concept ratings were internally consistent, reasonably stable over time, and measured distinct components of self-concept consistent with the design of the instrument used to collect the ratings. Student self-concepts in each area were significantly correlated with teacher ratings of their self-concepts in the same area, and student–teacher agreement was specific to particular dimensions. Academic ability measures were uncorrelated with self-concept in 4 nonacademic areas and most highly correlated with the particular area of academic self-concept most logically related to the particular ability measure. Thus, multiple dimensions of self-concept showed a logical and consistent pattern of relationships with a variety of criteria. Changes in self-concept over the 6-mo period were also reasonably reliable, multidimensional, and specific to each area of self-concept, but they were not correlated with changes in the criterion variables. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on Shweder's "Illusory correlation and the MMPI controversy."

R. A. Shweder's (see record 1978-20145-001) 1st principal-component factor loadings are substantially correlated with the proportion of items keyed for true and socially desirable responses in the MMPI scales that he investigated, and it is suggested that the judgments of similarity and dissimilarity that he obtained were based on social desirability considerations. It is also shown that although there is a preexisting conceptual scheme that is widely shared regarding what is desirable and undesirable in the way of personality characteristics, differences in the degree to which individuals agree with the cultural norms of social desirability have little relationship to individual differences in social desirability responding to MMPI items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structure, stability, and development of young children's self-concepts: a multicohort-multioccasion study

A new, individual administration procedure for assessing multiple dimensions of self-concept for young children 5-8 years of age (Marsh, Craven, & Debus) was the basis of this study. We expanded this application in a multicohort-multioccasion (MCMO) study that provides simultaneous multicohort comparisons (cross-sectional comparisons of different age cohorts) and longitudinal comparisons of the same children on multiple occasions. There was reasonable support for predictions that reliability, stability, factor structure, and the distinctiveness of the SDQ factors would improve with age (a between-group age cohort comparison) and from 1 year to the next (a longitudinal comparison), and that small gender differences were reasonably stable over age. Consistent with the proposal that children's self-perceptions become more realistic with age, Time 1 (T1) teacher ratings were more highly correlated with student self-ratings at T2 than T1 and contributed to the prediction of T2 self-concept beyond effects mediated by T1 self-concepts. The results support and expand the surprisingly good support for the multidimensionality of self-concept responses for very young children using this procedure.     

A multifaceted academic self-concept: Its hierarchical structure and its relation to academic achievement.

Academic self-concept, originally posited by Shavelson as a single higher-order facet, was found by Marsh and Shavelson to comprise at least 2 higher-order academic facets (verbal and math). Marsh developed the internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model to account for the extreme separation of math and verbal self-concepts and their relations to math and verbal achievements. In our investigation, students completed the academic self-concept scales from 3 instruments that were the basis of 2 studies. In the 1st study, the 2 higher-order academic factors posited by Marsh and Shavelson fit the data substantially better than did a single higher order facet. In subsequent discussion, the Marsh/Shavelson model is more clearly defined, and directions for further research are identified. The 2nd study provided further support for the I/E frame of reference model in that (a) verbal and math self-concepts were nearly uncorrelated, (b) verbal achievement positively affected verbal self-concept but negatively affected math self-concept (i.e., higher verbal skills led to lower math self-concepts), (c) math achievement positively affected math self-concept but negatively affected verbal self-concept, and (d) the results were consistent for each of 3 self-concept instruments. Both studies demonstrate that in further research at least verbal and math self-concepts, rather than a single general facet of academic self-concepts, should be considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of self-concept in female preadolescent twins: a behavioral genetic approach

Two hundred and forty-three female monozygotic (MZ) and 164 female dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, aged 11 and 12 years, who participated in the ongoing Minnesota Twin Family Study, completed six specific scales of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (P-H). Model-fitting analyses yielded three major conclusions. First, approximately 30% of the variance in specific self-concepts in female preadolescents was due to genetic factors, with the remaining variance being accounted for primarily by nonshared environmental factors and measurement error. Second, the underlying common genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors influenced specific facets of self-concept directly and independently, rather than through an intervening phenotypic general self-concept. Finally, whereas genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors were necessary to explain the commonality among the specific self-concept scales, only genetic and nonshared environmental factors were sufficient to explain the specificity of those scales.     

Relations among dimensions of self-attribution, dimensions of self-concept, and academic achievements.

Replicated an earlier study by the present author and colleagues (see record 1984-14773-001) on self-attribution and dimensions of self-concept. 559 Australian 5th graders were assessed for (1) multiple dimensions of self-attribution for causes of academic outcomes, (2) multiple dimensions of self-concept, (3) multiple dimensions of inferred self-concept (by teachers and peers), and (4) achievements in reading and mathematics. Results show that the empirically derived dimensions of academic self-attribution yielded findings similar to the earlier study—no bipolar dimensions (e.g., internal–external) were found. Ss who attributed failure to lack of ability or lack of effort were found to have (1) better academic self-concepts (based on self-reports and teacher and peer inferences) and (2) better academic achievement (based on test scores and teacher ratings). (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-esteem and clarity of the self-concept.

This article examines the association between evaluative and knowledge components of the self. Four studies tested the hypothesis that the self-concepts of low-self-esteem (LSE) people are characterized by less clarity or certainty than those of high-self-esteem (HSE) people. LSE Ss exhibited less extremity and self-reported confidence when rating themselves on bipolar trait adjectives (Study 1), less temporal stability in their trait ratings over a 2-month interval (Study 2), less congruence between their self-concepts and their subsequent perceptions of situation-specific behavior and memory for prior behavior (Study 3), and less internal consistency, lower self-rated confidence, and longer reaction times when making me/not me responses to pairs of opposite traits (Study 4). Alternative accounts of the results and the implications of self-concept clarity for understanding the pervasive impact of self-esteem on behavior are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)