Self-concept and self-esteem reexamined

Three “self” constructs are differentiated: the “self,” that is, the “real” self; the “self-concept,” which is the information or cognitions an individual has about his “self;” and “self-esteem,” which is the judgment and feelings about the “self.” An individual's self-concept can be characterized by its realism or unrealism, its completeness or incompleteness, or by the complexity of the concepts used to describe the self. Self-esteem, but not self-concept, can be described as being positive or negative. Developmental considerations and implications are discussed.     

Teacher-pupil compatibility and teachers' ratings of children's behavior

Canonical variate analysis of the relationships between teachers' ratings of children's behavior and an index of teacher-pupil compatibility objectively demonstrated a significant relationship between behaviors representative of serious psychopathology and teacher-pupil compatibility. Previous multivariate analyses of variance had failed to identify meaningful relationships between teacher-pupil compatibility and teacher nomination of a child as a behavior problem. This study provides inferential support for the contention that school behavior problems and emotional disturbances are separate nosological entities.     

Follow-up of high-risk children identified in kindergarten through direct classroom observation

Sixty-one children, originally identified at the beginning of kindergarten on the basis of 4 distinct clusters of observable classroom behavior, were evaluated at completion of first grade. Teacher ratings and individual achievement test scores partially confirmed the predictive validity of the original clusters. Children in the nonrisk cluster continued to do well, while children in the high-risk cluster were still doing poorly in some areas. An unexpected finding was that children in another cluster, originally seen as nonrisk, also seemed to be in some difficulty. Concerns about specific aspects of observable behavior were discussed.