Self-Perceptions of Scholastic Ability at Four Grade Levels

Three hundred forty-one students were sampled from 4th, 8th, 12th, and college grade levels and administered a Self-Rating Scale of Scholastic Ability and an objective measure of scholastic ability. The Self-Rating Scale consisted of self- and other-student subscales. It was predicted that students' self-perceptions of their ability would become more congruent, stable, and realistic with increasing age. Progressive congruency and stability of self-perceptions were found from the 4th through the 12th grade, although a reversal of this trend was observed in the college sample. Several within-grade sex differences were noted, but little support was found for the prediction that older students would have more realistic self-perceptions. Results were interpreted in terms of a sex-role confusion in the 4th graders and a more general “identity confusion” in the 8th graders. Clear-cut role differentiation and high self-acceptance seemed to characterize high school Ss, while prevailing sex stereotypes were suggested as an influence on the self and other student perceptions at the college level. Findings were concluded to be inconsistent with the Achenbach and Zigler (1) hypothesis of greater self-ideal disparity with increasing maturity, but consistent with Hess and Bradshaw's previous findings (11) on self-concept differences between high school and college students.