A Double-Edged Sword? On the Benefit, Detriment, and Net Effect of Dimensional Comparison on Self-Concept

Autor/inn/en	Müller-Kalthoff, Hanno; Jansen, Malte; Schiefer, Irene M.; Helm, Friederike; Nagy, Nicole; Möller, Jens
Titel	A Double-Edged Sword? On the Benefit, Detriment, and Net Effect of Dimensional Comparison on Self-Concept
Quelle	In: Journal of Educational Psychology, 109 (2017) 7, S.1029-1047 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-0663
DOI	10.1037/edu0000171
Schlagwörter	Self Concept; German; Mathematics Achievement; Comparative Analysis; Peer Groups; Statistical Analysis; Prediction; Vignettes; Grades (Scholastic); Foreign Countries; High School Students; College Students; Self Concept Measures; Student Attitudes; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Selbstkonzept; Deutscher; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Gleichaltrigengruppe; Peer Group; Statistische Analyse; Vorhersage; Notenspiegel; Ausland; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Collegestudent; Schülerverhalten; Deutschland
Abstract	Dimensional comparison theory (DCT; Möller & Marsh, 2013) assumes that students compare their academic achievement intraindividually across domains to form domain-specific self-concepts. Upward dimensional comparisons are believed to lead to lower self-concepts in the worse-off domain, while downward dimensional comparisons should lead to higher self-concepts in the better-off domain. Furthermore, DCT assumes the net effect of upward and downward dimensional comparisons to be beneficial to the self. To test these assumptions, 3 experiments and 2 field studies were conducted investigating the relative effects of upward and downward dimensional comparisons as well as their net effect. In Studies 1 (N = 149), 2 (N = 150) and 3 (N = 300), participants were asked to infer self-concepts of fictitious students after receiving experimentally manipulated information about their achievements in 2 domains, whereas participants in Studies 4 (N = 2,268) and 5 (N = 20,662) assessed their own self-concepts in German and mathematics. In all studies, downward dimensional comparisons resulted in higher self-concepts, whereas upward dimensional comparisons led to lower self-concepts. The net effect of dimensional comparisons was always found to be not statistically different from zero. The findings therefore support the central prediction of DCT on the discreteness of the effects of upward and downward dimensional comparisons, yet do not support the assumed positivity of their net effect. Furthermore, results indicate the effect patterns to be rather universal as they were stable across different samples, domains, achievement situations, research designs, and types of assessment. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01