The Construct and Concurrent Validity of Two College-Level Academic Self-Concept Scales for a Sample of Primarily Hispanic Community College Students

Abstract

The scores of a community college sample of 202 students (102 females and 100 males) primarily of Hispanic background provided the means for determining (a) the correlations of each of five factor subscales of a research form of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) measure derived from a psychological theory of academic self-concept with the Total Score of the Academic Self-Concept Scale (ASCS) intended to measure general academic self-concept and (b) the empirical factor structure of each instrument. It was concluded that the DOSC is a multidimensional academic self-concept measure whereas the ASCS is essentially unidimensional and therefore that the two measures reflect not altogether similar constructs. The Level of Aspiration subscale shows considerable promise as a potentially valid predictor of college achievement, as it exhibited among all five DOSC subscales the highest degree of concurrent validity with self-report measures of academic success.