Home schooling is a growing practice in many Western countries. Examination of the practice has entailed collection of "hard" data, such as academic achievements and success rates in higher education, as well as investigation of the practice from the perspective of parents. It is very important to examine homeschooling from the…

Developmental trajectories of two self-concept constructs (self-confidence and importance beliefs) in three domains (academic, social, and self-image) were estimated in a nationally representative sample of approximately 3,500 students with disabilities ages 8 to 17 representing 11 federal disability categories. Students' self-confidence in the…

Books can help children develop a positive self-image and feelings of self-confidence. To aid in the development of a child's shades of self (personal, social, and ideal), a list of books is offered. (DF)

Though the personalities of mentally retarded persons are affected by the same factors that impact upon nonretarded persons, their life experiences often lead to overdependency on others, low aspiration levels, and outerdirected problem-solving styles. These characteristics may be responsible for the high rate of mental unhealth in mentally…

In the foreword, Arthur Combs cites 3 impressive considerations about Victor Raimy's just-now published doctoral dissertation on the theory of the self concept. One is that the importance of the self concept for the understanding of human behavior must be regarded as one of the most outstanding developments of the past 25 years in American…

Investigated the relationship between ego identity and alienation in adolescents. Subjects (N=147) were administered the Adolescent Alienation Scale and Ego Identity Scale. Data supported the hypothesis that as scores on the Ego Identity Scale increase, there tends to be a moderate decrease in alienation. (Author)

There is an assumed relationship between a person's self-esteem, speech anxiety, and low cognitive complexity, but further research is needed for support of this premise. An important question to explore is how a child with speech anxiety (lack of confidence in communication situations) perceives others. Based on balance theory, the answer is that…

This book was written for educators and counselors, but its concepts are applicable to anyone who works with youth. It contains five chapters, the first of which emphasizes that building self-esteem is the best way to counter serious drug misuse. In chapter two, the kinds of pressures youngsters must cope with are discussed. In this chapter…

Confirms that frequent changes in primary schools deprive a boy of the opportunities to develop his self-concept to the same level as his stable peers. (Published by New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Education House, 178-182 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand.) (Author)

It is becoming clear that the difficulties which people experience in most areas of life are closely connected with the ways in which they see themselves and the world in which they live. There is considerable evidence that student failures in the basic school subjects, as well as misdirected motivation and lack of commitment (characteristic of…

One of the most important assumptions of modern theories about self-image is that the maintenance and enhancement of the perceived self is the motive behind all behavior. Sense of self may be based on the views of others, it may be the result of interactions with others who provide meaning of self through their responses, it may come from…

It has been predicted that, if an androgynous identity represents a higher level of psychosocial functioning, there should be a significant relationship between androgynous sex role identity and high self-esteem. To test this hypothesis, 139 male and female high school seniors completed the Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development, the Bem Sex…

This forum identified some of the factors influencing the emergence of identity during the critical childhood years. To help a child develop a healthy identity which is both favorable and realistic, he must be taught almost from birth about his own individuality. The many aspects of total identity include family, physical self, sex, ethnic and…

Discusses some of the psychological factors involved in the development of children, and examines the role that the science teacher can play in enhancing the self-concept and self-esteem of children in his classroom. (JR)