The aim of this book is to discuss the notions of self-concept, self-esteem, and related terms from an educational and psychological perspective. Specifically, this book is concerned with developing a model of self-concept -- and corollaries to this model -- that assesses the dimensionality of self-concept, reviews tests of self-concept, discusses the relationship between self- concept and other variables (particularly achievement), describes the development of self-concept, and evaluates programs to enhance self-concept. Throughout this volume, emphasis is placed on ordering the many studies using recent methodological advances such as meta-analysis and the analysis of covariance structures. After detailing a conceptual model of self-concept, the book offers various experimental and statistical discussions of the model. Unlike many other models, the claim is not that this model is the correct one but that it may serve as a useful "coathanger" until a better one is devised.

This welcome resource traces the evolution of self-concept clarity and brings together diverse strands of research on this important and still-developing construct. Locating self-concept clarity within current models of personality, identity, and the self, expert contributors define the construct and its critical roles in both individual and collective identity and functioning. The book examines commonly-used measures for assessing clarity, particularly in relation to the more widely understood concept of self-esteem, with recommendations for best practices in assessment. In addition, a wealth of current data highlights the links between self-concept clarity and major areas of mental wellness and dysfunction, from adaptation and leadership to body image issues and schizophrenia. Along the way, it outlines important future directions in research on self-concept clarity. Included in the coverage: Situating self-concept clarity in the landscape of personality. Development of self-concept clarity across the lifespan. Self-concept clarity and romantic relationships. Who am I and why does it matter? Linking personal identity and self-concept clarity. Consequences of self-concept clarity for well-being and motivation. Self-concept clarity and psychopathology. Self-Concept Clarity fills varied theoretical, empirical, and practical needs across mental health fields, and will enhance the work of academics, psychologists interested in the construct as an area of research, and clinicians working with clients struggling with developing and improving their self-concept clarity.

Self-esteem is essential for psychological survival. It is an emotional sine qua non - without some measure of self-worth, life can be enormously painful, with many basic needs going unmet. One of the main factors differentiating humans from other animals is the awareness of self: the ability to form an identity and then attach a value to it. In other words, you have the capacity to define who you are and then decide if you like that identity or not. The problem of self-esteem is this human capacity for judgment. It's one thing to dislike certain colors, noises, shapes, or sensations. But when you reject parts of yourself, you greatly damage the psychological structures that literally keep you alive. Judging and rejecting yourself causes enormous pain. And in the same way that you would favor and protect a physical wound, you find yourself avoiding anything that might aggravate the pain of self-rejection in any way. You take fewer social, academic, or career risks. You make it more difficult for yourself to meet people, interview for a job, or push hard for something where you might not succeed. You limit your ability to open yourself with others, express your sexuality, be the center of attention, hear criticism, ask for help, or solve problems....This book is about stopping the judgments. It's about healing the old wounds of hurt and self-rejection. How you perceive and feel about yourself can change. And when those perceptions and feelings change, the ripple effect will touch every part of your life with a gradually expanding sense of freedom. ---- Self-Esteem.

Self-concept is broadly defined as a persons perceptions of himself or herself. Self-concept is one of the most extensively researched constructs in educational psychology. This book provides new research, perceptions, cultural influences and gender differences of self-concept. Chapter One discusses a process called fusion which states that various constructs may be perceived to be more or less integrated within the self-concept. Chapter Two focuses on academic self-concept and its correlation to academic achievement. Chapter Three analyses the different relationships among self-beliefs, metacognition and mathematics achievement in Japan, mainland China, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. Chapter Four derives a structural model for the multidimensional self-concept construct. Chapter Five examines how a belief system of a Chinese student, who is a learner of Japanese as a foreign language, impacts on his self-concept as a foreign language learner. Chapter Six assesses how sport and exercise psychology textbook authors portray disability to readers.

Includes such contents as: Constituents of the Self-Concept; Principles of Self-Concept Formation; Social Identity & Social Context; Social Institutions; Deviance; and, Defense Mechanisms.

The Concept of Self examines the historical basis for the widely misunderstood ideas of how African Americans think of themselves individually, and how they relate to being part of a group that has been subjected to challenges of their very humanity.

Self-concept and coping behaviour are important aspects of development in adolescence. Despite their developmental significance, however, the two areas have rarely been considered in relation to each other. This book is the first in which the two areas are brought together; it suggests that this interaction can open the way to new possibilities for further research and to new implications for applied work with adolescents. Two separate chapters review research carried out in each of the areas. These are followed by a series of more empirically focussed chapters in which issues such as changes in relationship patterns, difficult school situations, leaving school, use of leisure, anxiety and suicidal behaviour are examined in the context of self-concept and coping. The final chapter seeks to identify some of the central themes emerging from this work and discusses possible research and applied implications.