Study Questions for Week 4
Make one (1) original post for a self-concept/self-esteem questions, one (1) for the self-views
questions, and one (1) for the personal attributes question (i.e., no response posting this week).
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<b>Self-concept and Self-esteem</b><p>
SC1. What is meant by the term "self?" What is self-concept? How does it relate to self-esteem?
To self-determination? To self-control? <p>
SC2. William James proposed that self-esteem = success/pretensions; in more modern language
this might be expressed as self-esteem = achievement/expectations. Do you agree with this
formulation? Why or why not? <p>
SC3. How do self-concept and self-esteem relate to academic achievement? Is there a
correlational or causal relationship? What can teachers do to improve students' academic selfconcepts? <p>
SC4. What is the relationship between self-image and self-ideal? When there is a discrepancy,
what are some possible results? <p>
SC5. Describe some of the important factors of the construction of self-concept and self-esteem
during early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. <p>
SC6. Describe three characteristics of qualities of self-concept that are important for educators?
Based on your knowledge of self-concept, what is one activity you could use to boost selfesteem, especially as it relates to academic performance? <p>
<b>Self-Views in Everyday Life</b><p>
SEL1. The authors cite several books and articles that cast doubt on the efficacy of self-concept
and self-esteem as important constructs in predicting important outcome variables. The stated
purpose of the article is to refute this notion. Do you believe the authors have made their case?
Why or why not? <p>
SEL2. The authors state that the common distinction between self-concept as a cognitive
measure and self-esteem as an affective measure is not supported. Rather both are seen as
referring to thoughts and feelings the self. These are seen as being derived by observing reactions
of others towards them, their behavior, and their relative performances. However, other authors
suggest it is one’s personal reflections, rather than simply the observations, that are the main
factor in constructing self-views. What is your opinion on this conflict of viewpoints? <p>
SEL3. The authors state that several metacognitive aspects of self-views can impact their
efficacy in predicting behavior (i.e., certainty, importance, clarity, accessibility, and extremity).
Give an example of how one of these impacts your self-view or that of someone you know well.
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SEL4. The authors suggest that level of self-view should match the specificity of the level of
predictor outcomes (e.g., global self-esteem predicting life success; academic self-esteem
predicting grade point average; mathematics self-esteem predicting mathematics achievement;
addition self-efficacy predicting scores on a test of addition). Do you believe this is an important
issue in the self-views research? Why or why not? <p>
SEL5. The authors state that demonstrably effective programs focused on positively impacting
self-views focus on cultivating behaviors that are both realistic and adaptive. Based on the papers
you read earlier on movement to the conceptual age and desired student outcomes, what are
some behaviors that you would focus on in order to improve students’ self-views? <p>
SEL6. The authors suggest that “people’s self-esteem, self-concepts, behaviors, and social
conditions are embedded in cycles in which each element influences and constrains the other
elements in profound ways.” Compare and contrast this statement with the Brilliant Star
framework. In your view, are there any significant additions you believe would be made to the
statement from the perspective of the Brilliant Star framework? <p>
<b>Measures of Personal Attributes</b><p>
PA1. Complete one of the measures of self; describe the instrument, your scores on that measure,
and the implications for your role as an educator. <p>