Examining the Relationships among Cognitive Ability, Domain-Specific Self-Concept, and Behavioral Self-Esteem of Gifted Children Aged 5–6 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study

Although childhood is a critical period of development during which all children begin a lifelong process of self-discovery that shapes their identities, few studies have focused on the self-concept and self-esteem of young, gifted children. This study recruited 108 gifted children aged 5–6 years from Greece and their preschool teachers to explore the relationships among cognitive ability, domain-specific self-concepts, and global self-esteem. The Pictorial Scale for Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance was used to assess the domain-specific self-concepts of the participants, whereas behavioral manifestations of self-esteem were rated by the children’s teachers using the Behavioral Academic Self-Esteem Scale. There were positive correlations among IQ, perceived scholastic competence, and global self-esteem. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that significant predictors of global self-esteem were male gender, higher IQ, perceived scholastic competence, and perceived maternal acceptance. Additionally, there were gender differences in global self-esteem and perceived physical competence in favor of boys, whereas perceived maternal acceptance favored girls. This article discusses the need for practitioners working with gifted children to enact a comprehensive social–emotional learning curriculum in schools that promotes academic as well as personal and character strengths. Finally, the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also presented.

The Association Between Pupil-Related Psychological Factors and Academic Achievement in Physical Education

Purpose: Physical education (PE) teachers’ assessments are often based on continuous observations of pupils. As certain psychological factors may mediate pupils’ learning behaviors relevant to the PE context, they may also influence academic achievement in PE. Thus, this study’s aim was to explore the association between pupil-related psychological factors and academic achievement in PE. Methods: Eighty-nine boys and 111 girls (12–16 years old) in lower secondary school participated in this study, responding to a questionnaire containing previously validated scales measuring pupils’ grit, mindset, self-perceptions, and situational motivation. The pupils’ final grade in PE was collected at the end of the school year. Results: A multiple regression model significantly explained 33% of the variance in grade. The self-perception domains—scholastic competence, athletic competence, and physical appearance—acted as unique predictors, explaining a small portion of the variance in academic achievement. Discussion/conclusion: These results support the importance of positive self-perceptions in relation to academic achievement in PE.

Age and gender effects on global self-worth and domain-specific self-perceptions in youth

Considering that self-perception of competence in the relevant domains is important for understanding of individual?s behavior and achievement, the study analyzed the effects of age and gender on global self-worth and domain-specific selfperceptions. The cross-sectional study included 1130 participants of age range 8-23 (520 males and 610 females). The participants were tested by the equivalent forms of six subscales from ?Self-Perception Profile for Children?, ?Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents? and ?Self-Perception Profile for College Students?. Subscales measured self-evaluations across domains of scholastic competence, social acceptance, athletic competence, physical appearance, behavioral conduct and global self-worth. Two separate MANOVAs revealed a significant main effect for age in male subsample (Wilks? Lambda =.83, F (12, 1024)=8.35, p<.01) and in female subsample (Wilks? Lambda =.80, F (12, 1204)=11.80, p< .01). An analysis of variance showed that the effect of age in males was significant in physical appearance, behavioral conduct and global self-worth, while in females significant differences were registered in scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance and behavioral conduct. Pedagogical implications refer to enhancing self-concept in youth by appropriate teaching strategies and supportive learning environment. Learning experiences within physical education might be particularly beneficial for female adolescents.

A Longitudinal Examination of the Relationship Between Media Use and Self-Competence During Adolescence

The primary goal of this longitudinal study was to examine whether media use predicts adolescent self-competence and/or whether adolescent self-competence predicts media use. The sample included 1,031 10th and 11th grade boys and girls from the United States. The adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire in 2007 and 2008 to assess their media use (talking and texting on the phone, listening to music, e-mailing/IMing, playing video games, and working on the computer) and self-competence (social competence, scholastic competence, athletic competence, and perceived physical appearance). Path analysis results revealed that media use had a minimal effect on adolescent self-competence. In contrast, adolescent self-competence consistently predicted media use. Results from this study highlight the need to examine both directions of influence between adolescent media use and adjustment.