The Construct and Concurrent Validity of a Measure of Academic Self-Concept and One of Locus of Control for a Sample of University Students

Abstract

For a sample 239 undergraduate university students (135 males and 104 females) a factor analysis of the intercorrelations of 20 4-item subtests of the 5 scales (4 subtests per scale) of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), Form H, an academic self-concept measure, and of 6 subtests from the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR), a locus of control measure, revealed 5 distinct factors that correspond to the 5 a priori dimensions afforded by the DOSC but only one factor for the IAR. With respect to 3 self-report measures of academic achievement, the Level of Aspiration scale of the DOSC yielded the only 2 validity coefficients in excess of .30. It was concluded that (a) the DOSC reflects 5 distinct factor dimensions consistent with a theory of academic self-concept proposed by Michael and Smith (1976) and (b) the IAR is a unidimensional measure quite independent of the DOSC.