Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale Research Articles

The Psychosocial Effects of Acne on Adolescents

To describe the psychosocial impact of acne on adolescents, and, in particular, to assess whether self-concept is affected by medical treatment, we evaluated 39 teenagers presenting for care to a community-based dermatologist. Prior to and following treatment, subjects completed a self-assessment questionnaire, the Piers-Harris self-concept scale, and underwent an objective assessment of acne severity. Fifty-eight percent of subjects were dissatisfied with their facial appearance and this in turn was correlated with feelings of embarrassment and social inhibition (for each, r = 0.48, P less than or equal to 0.005). Subjects' rating of acne severity, but not the dermatologist's, was correlated with dissatisfaction with facial appearance (r = 0.45, P less than or equal to 0.005). Despite these findings, the mean Piers-Harris total t-score (55.4 +/- 7.4) was within the normal range. Fourteen subjects (36%) returned for follow-up and 71% of these were judged by both the dermatologist and themselves to have improved. Following therapy, significant reductions in the adverse consequences of acne were observed with 42% of subjects reporting that their facial appearance was more acceptable to peers, 50% being less embarrassed, and 58% feeling less socially inhibited. Minimal improvement in mean Piers-Harris total t-score was observed (54.6 to 57.4, P = 0.004, paired t-test). Our data demonstrate that acne is perceived by adolescents to have important negative personal and social consequences, and that improvement in these areas may accompany medical treatment.

The Use of Interdisciplinary Teaming and its Influence on Student Self-Concept in Middle Schools

The present study examined the degree to which interdisciplinary teaming was implemented in middle schools and the resulting impact of interdisciplinary teaming on students' self-concepts. The degree of interdisciplinary teaming was measured by means of the stages-of-concern and level-of-use instruments that are components of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). Student self-concept was measured by the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. Results showed that the majority of teachers and administrators in Iowa schools are at the early stages of usage of interdisciplinary team teaching. Approximately one-fifth of nonuser teachers use some elements of interdisciplinary team teaching. Students who attended middle schools with high levels of interdisciplinary teaming had higher self-concepts than students who attended middle schools with low levels of interdisciplinary teaming. Thus, interdisciplinary teaming appears to play a role in favorably mediating the self-concepts of middle school students.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This study evaluates the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in improving the home behavior of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty-five boys (age 7 to 13) with a diagnosis of ADHD were randomized to a CBT or supportive therapy control group. Outcome measures included parent and teacher ratings of the child on the Behavior Problem Checklist-Attention Problem Subscale (BPC-AP), and the Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS), parent ratings on the Modified Werry Weiss Activity Scale, and child ratings on the Piers Harris Self-Concept Scale and Matching Familiar Figures Task. Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance for main effects. A significant improvement favoring CBT was found on the Werry Weiss Scale, which measures the parent's perception of the child's hyperactivity in the home, and the child's rating of his/her self-esteem on the Piers Harris Self-Concept Scale. Other outcome measures did not demonstrate statistical differences. This research provides support for the use of CBT in children with ADHD. CBT was found to improve the parent's perception of the child's hyperactivity in the home as well as the child's self-esteem.

Attitude Toward Physical Activity and Self-Concept of Emotionally Disturbed and Normal Children

This study investigated the relationship between attitude toward physical activity and self-concept of emotionally disturbed and normal children. The subjects were 470 boys and girls, ranging from 8 to 13 years of age (M = 10.95, SD = 1.91). The sample included 80 emotionally disturbed children from two psychiatric hospitals in Ohio and 390 normal children from a parochial school in Ohio. Data were collected through the Children’s Attitude Toward Physical Activity Inventory (CATPA) and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. A significant difference on CATPA occurred between emotionally disturbed and normal children and between boys and girls. A two-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference in self-concept between emotionally disturbed and normal children. The Pearson product-moment correlation revealed low but significant relationships between self-concept and the following subscales of the CATPA: social experience, thrill, and release of tension. The results indicated that normal children had a more positive attitude toward physical activity and self-concept than emotionally disturbed children.

Psychologic functioning in 8- to 16-year-old cancer survivors and their parents

This study presents data on psychologic adjustment (self-concept, depression, locus of control, family environment, and parental distress) for a sample of 8- to 16-year-old long-term cancer survivors (n = 138) and their mothers, and for a sample consisting of a matched group of healthy children (n = 92) and their mothers. The null hypothesis of no group differences between survivors and control subjects was tested with respect to these variables. It was hypothesized that survivors with severe late effects would have poorer self-concepts, a more external locus of control, and more depressive symptoms than children with no or mild-to-moderate late effects. The children completed the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, and the Children's Depression Inventory. Mothers completed the Family Environment Scale and the Derogatis Stress Profile. The majority of former patients are functioning within normative limits on these standardized measures, although their scores were lower than those in the comparison group. One-way analyses of variance on the dependent measures indicate that the children with severe medical late effects have a poorer total self-concept, more depressive symptoms, and a more external locus of control than those with no or mild-to-moderate late effects. Therapies for childhood cancer are now well standardized and many long-term deleterious effects are known, so children at risk can be identified readily and steps taken early in treatment to prevent or mitigate future psychologic problems.

Behavioral Parent Training:

Parents of 42 conduct disordered children were randomly allocated to either contingency management training, communication skills training or a waiting list control condition. The two treatments were conducted with the problem child either present or absent during sessions. Assessment devices included the Behavior Problem Checklist, Becker Adjective Checklist, Parent Attitude Survey, Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, and Daily observations made by parents. In comparison to waiting list controls, significant treatment effects were found on the Behavior Problem Checklist and on one attitude subscale (Understanding). More subjects in the contingency management condition met a criterion of clinical success than in the other conditions. No differential effect was associated with the conduct of treatment under conditions where the child was either present of absent form the sessions.

Birth order and its relationship to depression, anxiety, and self-concept test scores in children.

Children (N = 404), 7 to 12 years old, were given the Children's Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. First-born children scored significantly lower on depression than second-, third-, fourth-born, and youngest children. First borns showed significantly less trait anxiety than third-born children. First-born children also showed significantly higher levels of self-esteem than second-born and youngest children. Girls in this study showed significantly more trait anxiety than boys.

Use of the Piers???Harris Self-Concept Scale with Indian Children

Data from a survey of 241 Montana school children, Indian and white, were used as a basis for examining the psychometric properties of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. Strong estimates of internal consistency and support for construct validity were found. Studies using the Piers-Harris scale over the past 15 years have indicated that ethnic minority status per se is not related to lower self-concept score and that the scale is a reliable measure for use with minority group children. However, validity of the scale with Indian children warrants further examination, particularly in relation to the differential effects of ethnic culture and social environment on the measurement of self-concept.

Are funny teenagers creative?

To assess relationships among measures of humor, creativity, and self-concept in early and late adolescents, seventh and eleventh grade students were evaluated on the basis of observational, rating, and psychometric procedures. These included direct observation of humorous events as well as teachers', peers', and raters' judgments of humorousness and creativity. Psychometric measures included the Torrance test and the Piers-Harris Self-concept Scale. For students in both grades, significant correlations were obtained between teachers', observers', and students' ratings of humorousness and humor production. While there were few significant correlations among creativity, humor, and self-concept for seventh graders, for eleventh graders there were many positive correlations. Results were taken to suggest that being humorous is part of a different complex of personal characteristics for seventh and eleventh graders.

Psychosocial adjustment of 20 patients with Treacher Collins syndrome before and after reconstructive surgery

Eight males and 12 females (mean age, 12.2 years) with Treacher Collins syndrome were studied longitudinally before and after craniofacial reconstruction. The patients and the parents of the 16 patients who were children were interviewed by a psychosocial team (child psychiatrist, psychologist and social worker) 6 months before and 1, 2, 3 and 4 years after surgery. The patients' facial appearance (Hay's Rating Scale), intellectual ability (Wechsler scales), self-esteem (Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children) and adaptive functioning (DSM III) were measured. The findings indicate that while their intellectual ability was unchanged, their appearance, self-esteem and adaptive functioning improved, peaking 1 year postoperatively and levelling off at the 2- and 4-year postoperative assessments. The improvement in the patients' facial appearance seems to have a direct, positive influence, creating psychosocial and social benefits for them.

Dimensionality of the Piers‐Harris children's self‐concept scale for miniority gifted children

The relationship between children's self-concepts and their academic achievement has been well established. More recently, the multidimensionality of the self-concept and the relationship of specific self-concept dimensions to achievement have been investigated. However, the multidimensionality of the self-concept among minority gifted children has not been studied. The present study examined the multidimensional structure of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale among 438 predominantly Black gifted children. Six clearly defined orthogonal factors emerged. However, the structure of these factors differed from those reported by Piers and Harris.

Follow-up of adolescents previously studied for contraceptive compliance

Identification of adolescents at risk for contraception non-compliance and consequent pregnancy presents an important challenge to physicians caring for this age group. The present study examines the relationship between psychosocial information found in earlier studies to predict short-term contraceptive compliance to compliance one to three years later. Of the 31 patients located, 45% had become pregnant, of whom more than half had undergone therapeutic abortions. Three subscales of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale had been significantly lower at baseline in the group that subsequently became pregnant. Those who chose to abort their pregnancies had higher baseline self-image. Low baseline scores on self-image and reproductive knowledge differentiated the group that became pregnant and kept their babies from those who had not become pregnant. There was excellent concordance between contraceptive compliance four months after prescription and compliance one to three years later. Accordingly, adolescent females who are using prescribed contraception at six months are likely to continue to do so subsequently. This suggests that follow-up should be frequent during this six-month period to maximize the likelihood of compliance.

Behavioral adjustment of latency age children with cystic fibrosis.

One hundred and twenty-six 6 to 11-year-old latency age children with Cystic Fibrosis regularly attending the CF clinic of the Hospital for Sick Children were asked to complete the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Children's Health Locus of Control. Their parents were requested to complete the Child Behavior Checklist and the Family Assessment Measure. One hundred and eight (86%) participated in the study. Twenty-three percent of the children were found to have sufficient behavior problems to indicate a significant degree of maladjustment. Latency-age CF children show an increase in problems compared to a pre-school group, suggesting that leaving the protection of the family is problematic for a child with a chronic physical disorder. Males show more behavior problems than females. Males' behavior is characterized by somatic complaint profile. In spite of difficulties, CF latency children are able to maintain good social competence and self-concept suggesting compensatory mechanisms. These mechanisms are different for males and females. Females' self-concept and social competence are supportive of each other, whereas for males, this is not the case. Similarly, female behavior is relevant to family functioning. Males and females adjust to difficulty as indicated by differences in behavior profiles.

Improvements in self-concept after treatment of nocturnal enuresis: Randomized controlled trial

To determine whether changes in attitude and behavior occur after treatment of nocturnal enuresis, we randomly assigned 121 children aged 8 to 14 years to receive conditioning therapy (n = 66) or a 3-month waiting period (n = 55). All children completed the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale (P-H), the State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAIC), and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control test (NSLC) at entry and after treatment or delay. Parents completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). There were no significant group differences in background demographic variables. Significant improvements in the P-H Scale (P = 0.04) and three of its subscales occurred in children in the treatment group compared with those in whom treatment was delayed. The changes were greatest for those who had the largest decreases in wetting frequency. Changes in CBCL, STAIC, and NSLC scores were not statistically significant. We conclude that there may be mental health benefits in children helped to master the symptom of enuresis, which in this age group is probably a chronic stressor.

Personality development following sexual abuse

Thirty-seven girls and twelve boys who had been sexually abused at an average of 2.6 years previously were traced and reviewed. The nonoffending parents participated in a structured interview and the children were assessed using the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Each child was matched with a child not known to have been sexually abused and these control children underwent a similar psychological assessment. Interviews with the nonoffending parents found that 76% of the children were thought to be less confident than before, 30% had fewer friends, and 20% were more aggressive. Increased sexual awareness was noted in 24%. School teachers reported that 28% still had behavior problems, 17% had repeated a year at school, and a further 17% had deteriorated in their school work. The sexually abused girls had significantly lower self-esteem than the control girls. There was no difference in self-esteem between the control and the sexually abused boys. There was a higher incidence of stranger assault in the boys compared with the girls. The Child Behavior Checklist completed by the parents, the Teacher Report Form, and the Youth Self-Report of the Child Behavior Checklist showed that a highly significant proportion of sexually abused children fell into the clinical range. Sexual abuse appears to have long-term adverse consequences for many of the victims. This may have implications for their ability to relate to others, for the adult friendships they will make, and eventually for the way they will relate to their own children.

Beauty and the eye of the beholder: social consequences and personal adjustments for facial patients

Patients' pre- and postoperative self-reports were compared with reports of non-medical observers to investigate whether improved self-esteem is a direct result of increased social acceptance in maxillo- and craniofacial patients. Twenty-two children and adolescents undergoing reconstructive surgery for a variety of facial deformities were asked to rate their physical appearance on the Hay's Scale and fill out the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. Their ratings were compared with scores given by a panel of lay volunteers on random presentation of pre- and postoperative photographs of the same patients. Patients rated their appearance as noticeably improved after surgery, their self-esteem rose significantly and they reported more social adeptness and acceptance at home and school. Raters observed only relatively subtle changes. Apparently, quality of life improved for the postsurgical facial patient because of increased self-esteem and confidence, which free him to overcome social barriers.

The relationship of self-concept and autonomy to oral contraceptive compliance among adolescent females

Self-concept and autonomy are typically negotiated during adolescence, a time when many females also become sexually active. Nonuse and discontinuation of contraceptives by teenagers place them at high risk for pregnancy. The present study explores the relationship between these psychological factors and contraceptive noncompliance during adolescence. Fifty-five adolescent females beginning a contraceptive regimen were entered into the study. Compliance at four months after the initiation of an oral contraceptive was associated with scoring high on the Behavior Subscale of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Autonomy Scale modified from Eysenk.

Self-esteem of abused children

Thirty-seven children admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of abuse at an average of 5.5 years previously were compared with 37 non-abused children matched for age, sex, ethnic group, school and social class. The mean age of the children was 8.9 years (range 4.6–14.0 years). Self-esteem in the children was assessed by means of a structured interview with the child and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. The abused children saw themselves as having significantly fewer friends than the comparison children and they played with friends less often. They were less ambitious than the non-abused children with regard to the sort of occupation they would like as adults and were significantly lower in self-concept on the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. These results show that, as well as providing treatment for abusive parents, a long-term program which aims at improving interpersonal relationship skills and self-esteem is required for abused children.

Self-concept measurement in mentally retarded adults: a micro-analysis of response styles.

The Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory were administered orally to 46 mentally retarded adults employed in a sheltered workshop. In-depth analysis of transcripts of the taped testing sessions revealed that the majority of the item responses were ambiguous and not readily scorable within the standardized procedures. Characterization of the problematic response patterns indicated assorted qualifications, contradictory assertions, and responses which had little relevance to the item content. Of those factors that might account for these ambiguous responses, it appears that social desirability, acquiescence, personal agendas, recipient design errors, and lack of item comprehension are among the most salient.

The self-concept of physically handicapped children and their non-handicapped siblings: an empirical investigation.

Following a brief review of studies devoted specifically to the self-concept of the child with a physical handicap and the non-handicapped sibling, 20 pre-adolescent physically handicapped children attending normal schools and their siblings nearest in age were administered the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children. Their responses were then compared with those of 13 physically handicapped children attending special schools and their siblings, and with 18 non-handicapped children and their siblings. It was found that mean total scores were lower for both groups of physically handicapped children when compared to mean scores for the non-handicapped controls, with similar results amongst the groups of siblings, the mean scores for siblings of handicapped children being generally lower than those of the controls. The same results were found when the handicapped children's groups were pooled and analysed according to diagnosis. It was also found that there were few significant differences between pairs of target children and siblings, irrespective of their groupings.