Is There a Causal Relation between Self-Concept and Academic Achievement?

The relation between self-concept and achievement has often been studied, but the causal relation between these two constructs is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to define better the causal relation between self-concept and academic achievement. Longitudinal data from a large, representative sample of high school students were analyzed using a cross-lagged panel correlation (CLPC) design. CLPC attempts to rule out plausible alternative explanations of a causal effect. The results suggest that there may not be a causal relation between self-concept and achievement, but that a third variable may be causally predominant over both self-concept and achievement.