A measure of self-concept for a small group of learning disabled children.

Abstract

This study investigated the relation between age, grade, and self-concept in a group of learning disabled youngsters during the later elementary to junior high school years. Self-concept refers to the verbal labels a child uses to describe himself and to the positive and negative feelings accompanying these labels. The danger to a child is that a negative self-concept will be confirmed by the way the child is treated by authoriry figures. Also, an adolescent may develop the fear that earlier events in one's life are irreversible and limit choices and directions (2). The Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale (3) for Grades 3 to 12 was adrninistered to 24 subjects, aged 11 to 15 yr. The sample included 4, 3, 8, and 9 subjects in Grades 5 to 8, respectively. All were diagnosed learning disabled beginning in Grade 5 and had been consistently assigned to a resource room. No other handicaps or medical problems were indicated. The 80 declarative statements of the Piers-Harris Self-concept Scale were read and the subjects circled yes if they felt the statement described them, or circled no if the statement did not describe them. A total score ranges from 0 to 80, and a higher score is desirable. The distributions of scores were for Grade 5 (M = 55, SD = 11.84,