THE DEVELOPMENT OF A. TEACHER, RATING SCALE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SELF-CONCEPT OF FOUR YEAR OLD NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN Thesis Ior II“: Degree OI M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Jo Anne HuddIe-ston Lifshin 1963 ll mum; lflzlllijlflllll in 11! I III Illiflfllflfl u L. L [B R A R Y ‘ Michigan State University [HEM/1LX (pact? I16" ABSTRACT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TEACHER RATING SCALE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SELF-CONCEPT OF FOUR YEAR OLD NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN by Jo Anne Huddleston Lifshin Although numerous techniques for the measurement of the self- concept have been developed in the past several years, these have not been applied to the preschool level. This study developed from a need to obtain a means of measuring the self-concept of the preschool‘ch’ild.. The purpose of this study was to develoP a rating scale which would measure children's self-concepts as evaluated by their teachers and to validate the scale with a set of criterion situations. The twenty-three item teacher rating "Self-Concept Scale" was developed on the order of the Semantic Differential and was based on items from Bills' Index of Adjustment and Values (1951), a modification by Katz of Brownfain's scale (1956), and a rating scale on the selection of clinical psychologists (1947). Two verbal and four performance criterion situations were used to obtain ratings of feelings of adequacy of children in an interview situation. A It was hypothesized that teachers' ratings of items on the "Self- Concept Scale" would be significantly related to ratings of feelings of adequacy in the verbal and performance criterion situations. ‘ The phi coefficient was used for item selection. The forty-one subjects, representing four year old children in three nursery schools in the Lansing-East Lansing, Michigan, area, were separated into two group, a group of twenty-one subjects for Jo Anne Huddleston Lifshin 2 selection of items and a group of twenty subjects for replication of the study with items previously selected. The results for the first group were not conclusive enough to provide a basis for selection of items, however, and the study was replicated with the original items. The items which were significant at the . 05 level when com- pared by the phi coefficient with the mean criterion situation ratings were: 1 - able to give expression to feelings - limited in ability to give expression to feelings - for Group 1 for mean verbal and mean total criterion situation ratings. 2 - persistent - impatient - for Group 7. for mean verbal and meal total criterion situation ratings. 3 - humorous - humorless - for Group 1 for performance criterion situation ratings. 4 q calm - easily upset - for Group 2 for performance criterion situation ratings. 5 - poised - nervous - for Group 2 for performance criterion situation ratings. A b - merry - depressed - for Group 1 for total criterion situation ratings. None of the items were significantly related to both the verbal and performance criterion situation ratings. - Findings of the study indicated a need for further study in the areas of the longitudinal aspects of the self-concept, self-referent terms as applied to children, and the manner in which an individual's perceptions of himself are evaluated by others. The possibility that ratings may have been influenced by a selective reference group for development of the measures was presented. The data appeared to lend support to the position of self-theory which indicates that an individual's perceptions of himself may have only partial correspondence to what others observe of his behavior, and that the observations of others may vary. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TEACHER RATING SCALE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SELF-CONCEPT OF FOUR YEAR OLD NURSERY SCHOOL CHILDREN By Jo Anne Huddleston Lifshin A THESIS Submitted to Michigan-State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Home Management and Child Development 1963 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author expresses her gratitude to Dr. Martha E. Dale, under whose guidance and understanding, the completion of this thesis was possible. Special appreciation is due to Dr. William T.. Stellwagen, Departments of Psychology and Communication, for statistical direction and generous donation of time and assistance during the course of the study. The author is grateful to members of the Guidance Committee, . Dr. Bernice Borgman, Miss Dorothy Russell, and Miss Betty Garlick (Ex-Officio), for helpful suggestions and critical reading of the text of the thesis. The author wishes to acknowledge Miss Betty Garlick, Spartan Nursery School, Miss B. Suzanne Torrey, Laboratory Preschool, and Mrs. Ruth Richardson and Staff, Community Nursery School, for assistance in collection of the data. The author also expresses appreciation for suggestions and discussion to members of the staff of Spartan Nursery School, Miss Mariella Aikman and Mrs. Vera Borosage. ‘ Acknowledgment is given to Mrs. Mildred Harder, Secretary, . Spartan Nursery School, for secretarial assistance. Final appreciation is given to the author's husband, Arthur Lifshin, for patience and'under standing in the completion of the thesis. ************** ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER LINTRODUCTION. .. . .. . . II.- REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . History of the Self-Concept . . . Self-Concept Theory. . . . . . . Development of the Self . . . Measurement of the Self-Concept III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . Q Research Concerning the Self-Concept of Nursery SchoolChildren................ Selection and Description of Sample . . . . . . Assumptions and Hypotheses. . . . . . . . . . . Selection of Initial "Self-Concept Scale"ltems. .. Selection of Criterion Situations . . . Validation of Experimenter's Ratings . Procedure for Teachers' Ratings of the "Self- Concept Scale". . . . . Procedure for Administering Criterion'Situations Statistical Treatment of Data. . . . . . . . IV. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS Discussion of Results . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 14 18 21 Z3 Z3 24 26 29 31 31 32 32 36 36 Items Which Were Significantly Related to Criterion Situation Ratings. . . . . . . . Items Which Were Not Significantly Related to Criterion Situation Ratings . . . . . . Further Considerations" . r.' . . . . . . . . . . . . 'V.nos .. pomfiom. ow . ma wee . on . m omn . pommoumep .. Pause m8 . on . m .0 m3 . mo . a .02.. $538 8 sofimmenmxo 03m 3 523m 5 voids: u mmsfloom o» aoflmmohme 03m 3 «zone co. 5: 0N0. om. mg wmo... 3:90 u pug om . 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