Big-Fish--Little-Pond effect on academic self-concept: A cross-cultural (26-country) test of the negative effects of academically selective schools.

Academically selective schools are intended to affect academic self-concept positively, but theoretical and empirical research demonstrates that the effects are negative. The big-fish--little-pond effect (BFLPE), an application of social comparison theory to educational settings, posits that a student will have a lower academic self-concept in an academically selective school than in a nonselective school. This study, the largest cross-cultural study of the BFLPE ever undertaken, tested theoretical predictions for nationally representative samples of approximately 4,000 15-year-olds from each of 26 countries (N=103,558) who completed the same self-concept instrument and achievement tests. Consistent with the BFLPE, the effects of school-average achievement were negative in all 26 countries (M beta=-.20, SD=.08), demonstrating the BFLPE's cross-cultural generalizability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Explaining Paradoxical Relations Between Academic Self-Concepts and Achievements: Cross-Cultural Generalizability of the Internal/External Frame of Reference Predictions Across 26 Countries.

The internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model explains a seemingly paradoxical pattern of relations between math and verbal self-concepts and corresponding measures of achievement, extends social comparison theory, and has important educational implications. In a cross-cultural study of nationally representative samples of 15-year-olds from 26 countries (total N = 55,577), I/E predictions were supported in that (a) math and verbal achievements were highly correlated, but math and verbal self-concepts were nearly uncorrelated; (b) math achievement had positive effects on math self-concept, but negative effects on verbal self-concept; and (c) verbal achievement had positive effects on verbal self-concept, but negative effects on math self-concept. Supporting the cross-cultural generalizability of predictions, multigroup structural equation models demonstrated good support for the generalizabilify of results across 26 countries participating in the Programme for International Student Assessment project sponsored by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relations among perceived parental control, warmth, indulgence, and family harmony of Chinese in mainland China.

In clarifying the relation between parent–child relationship and parental control, previous research has shown that parental warmth was associated positively with order-keeping parental organization and negatively with dominating parental control. The present study, with separate analyses for fathers and mothers, further examined the relations among adult perceptions of parental dominating control, warmth, indulgence, and family harmony. The subjects were 925 educated Chinese in mainland China, who were asked to recall the child-rearing pattern of their parents. As in previous research, it was found that greater perceived parental dominating control was related to less perceived parental warmth. Results also showed that greater parental warmth and less parental control were related to greater perceived family harmony. These relations were found in analyses for both fathers and mothers. Similarities in the relations among perceived parental behaviors between sons and daughters, and differences in the perceived paternal and maternal treatment of children, are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Problems in the application of structural equation modeling: Comment on Randhawa, Beamer, and Lundberg (1993).

Critique methodological aspects of B. S. Randhawa's et al (see record 1993-23567-001) structural equation modeling (SEM) of relations between self-efficacy, attitudes, and achievement in mathematics. Major findings of their study were that self-efficacy mediated the effects of attitudes on achievement and that self-efficacy and attitudes were more strongly related to achievement for boys than for girls. The authors' reanalysis of their data does not substantiate these conclusions. Rather, it identifies inappropriate applications of SEM and the consequent misinterpretations of results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extension of the internal/external frame of reference model of self-concept formation: Importance of native and nonnative languages for Chinese students.

The authors extended the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model of self-concept formation by relating Chinese, English, and math achievement to Chinese, English, and math self-concepts in a 5-year longitudinal study based on a large (N?=?9,482) representative sample of Hong Kong high school students. Tests of the I/E model are typically based on math and English constructs for a single wave of data in Western countries, This study involved testing its cross-cultural generalizability to a non-Western country, including native and normative languages, as well as mathematics, and evaluating longitudinal effects over a 5-year period starting shortly before the beginning of high school. In support of the extended I/E model, (a) math, English, and Chinese achievements were highly correlated, whereas math, English, and Chinese self-concepts were nearly uncorrelated; (b) math, English, and Chinese achievements each had positive effects on the matching self-concept domain but negative effects on nonmatching domains (e.g., English achievement had a positive effect on English self-concept but negative effects on math and Chinese self-concepts); and (c) these results were very stable over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural Equation Models of Latent Interactions: Evaluation of Alternative Estimation Strategies and Indicator Construction.

Interactions between (multiple indicator) latent variables are rarely used because of implementation complexity and competing strategies. Based on 4 simulation studies, the traditional constrained approach performed more poorly than did 3 new approaches-unconstrained, generalized appended product indicator, and quasi-maximum-likelihood (QML). The authors' new unconstrained approach was easiest to apply. All 4 approaches were relatively unbiased for normally distributed indicators, but the constrained and QML approaches were more biased for nonnormal data; the size and direction of the bias varied with the distribution but not with the sample size. QML had more power, but this advantage was qualified by consistently higher Type I error rates. The authors also compared general strategies for defining product indicators to represent the latent interaction factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Students' evaluations of university teaching: Chinese version of the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality Instrument.

This study evaluates the applicability of a Chinese translation of the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) and explores the generality of selected findings based on North American research to the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Students (N?=?844) selected a "good" and a "poor" teacher, and rated each using the SEEQ. Good teachers were rated more favorably than poor teachers on all SEEQ scales, all SEEQ items were judged to be most important by at least some students, and SEEQ items (except, perhaps, feedback on examinations) were seen as appropriate by most students. Relations with background variables (student gender, teacher gender, teacher age, course grade, class size, workload and difficulty) were similar to those reported in North American studies. The results support the use of the SEEQ in this Chinese setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal multilevel models of the big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept: Counterbalancing contrast and reflected-glory effects in Hong Kong schools.

Longitudinal multilevel path models (7,997 students, 44 high schools, 4 years) evaluated effects of school-average achievement and perceived school status on academic self-concept in Hong Kong, which has a collectivist culture with a highly achievement-segregated high school system. Consistent with a priori predictions based on the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), higher school-average achievements led to lower academic self-concepts (contrast effect), whereas higher perceived school status had a counterbalancing positive effect on self-concept (reflected-glory, assimilation effect). The negative BFLPE is the net effect of counterbalancing influences, stronger negative contrast effects, and weaker positive assimilation effects so that controlling perceived school status led to purer—and even more negative— contrast effects. Attending a school where school-average achievement is high simultaneously resulted in a more demanding basis of comparison for one's own accomplishments (the stronger negative contrast effect) and a source of pride (the weaker positive assimilation effect), (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect Stands Up to Scrutiny.

Responds to comments made by Dai (see record 2004-14303-011) and Plucker et al (200414303-012) on the current authors' original article (see record 2003-06802-005) on the big-fish--little-pond effect (BFLPE). In its simplest form the BFLPE predicts that equally able students have lower academic self-concepts when attending schools where the average ability levels of other students is high than when attending schools where the school-average ability is low. The authors argue that there is extremely strong support for internal validity, external validity, generalizability. and policy-practice implications of the BFLPE and that it stands up to critical scrutiny. The article discusses long-lasting effects of the BFLPE and important educational outcomes, reflected-glory effects (RGEs), theoretical predictions From social comparison theory, and policy implications, and the authors urge parents to think carefully about the implications of school placements and policymakers and practitioners to reflect on potential negative effects of current policy practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of parenting in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong: Sex differences and societal differences.

Variations in parenting in Chinese families were examined with data from adults in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Ss completed questionnaires that assessed their perceptions of their mothers' and fathers' warmth and control during their childhood. Results revealed sex differences in perceptions of parenting that were comparable in the 3 societies. Mothers generally were perceived as warmer and as less controlling than fathers. Perceptions of parenting also differed for sons and daughters. Daughters perceived their fathers as warmer and as less controlling than did sons. Differences among the 3 societies existed in adults' perceptions of their parents' overall warmth and control. Hong Kong adults perceived both parents as less warm and more controlling than did Taiwan and mainland China adults. These findings have implications for future research on Chinese families and for an understanding of cultural influences on parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)