Self-concepts of institutionalized adolescents: A framework for conceptualizing labeling effects.

Assessed the self-concepts of 111 delinquents, 33 adolescent psychiatric inpatients, and 119 high school students in relation to 3 social labels (popular teenager, juvenile delinquent, and emotionally disturbed teenager). A semantic differential technique and discriminant analyses were used to compare profiles of self-ratings to profiles of role ratings. One analysis compared self-ratings with the control group's stereotypes, and the other compared self-ratings with an S's own group's stereotypes. Results reveal modest support for labeling effects only when self-ratings were matched with an S's own group's stereotypes. Findings suggest that an adolescent might choose one of several responses to a socially assigned label. Possible responses included accepting or rejecting the label as well as misperceiving the content of the role. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)