Self Concept Literature Review

Literature Review

This study analyses the changes in self-concept, locus of control, assertiveness and test anxiety for students participating in activity base personality development program. This chapter will be a review of literature relating to self-concept, locus of control, assertiveness, and test anxiety. The review of relevant studies will be confined to those involving students in nonclinical settings.

The Self-concept

The term self-concept is used to refer to how someone thinks about, evaluates or perceives them.

Eccles et al. (2005) delineated the self concept as people 's collective view of themselves across different sets of domain specific perspectives. These perceptions are based on knowledge of self and evaluation of capabilities

Many conditions can affect the self concept of the student. The finding of Marsh (2005) reveals the concept that surroundings of the student have impact on his self concept and called ‘the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE)’. If the average students have high performance, equally able students may have more negative academic self concept. However, if the average students have low performance, then they are more likely to have positive academic self concept. The academic self-concept is important during a child 's middle school years due to daily interaction with school. The academic self-concept alteration is difficult, once it is

They found lower phonological sensitivity and lower level of reading skill in negative academic self concept students. In future, these negative self-concepts deteriorate students ' learning capability and setback for the rest of their life. The self esteem of the student is also influenced by low self concept. According to Baumeister (1999) the self concept is the attribution of persons’ belief about themselves". Lewis (1990) proclaimed the self concept is developed in two aspect: (i) the existential self, that is 'the most fundamental part of the self-scheme or self-concept; the sense of being different from others and the awareness of the constancy(Bee, 1992). (ii)The Categorical Self.

Carl Rogers (1959) expressed three different components of self concept: self image, self esteem and ideal self. Morse and Gergen (1970) showed that in uncertain or anxious situations our self-esteem may change rapidly. Miller and Ross (1975) revealed that people who believed they had socially favourable characteristics continued in this belief even when the experimenters trained to believe the opposite.

Argyle (2008) believes 4 major factors: (i) the reaction of others, (ii) comparison with others, (iii) social roles and (iv) identification that influence self