Description

The Self-Concept Scale for Children (SCSC-22) is a self-report instrument designed to assess children’s feelings about themselves and their overall self-image. It consists of 22 adjective statements through which children indicate how they generally perceive themselves in everyday situations.

The scale is primarily intended for school-age populations and may be used in research, educational, and psychoeducational contexts to examine self-concept and self-esteem.

Purpose

The main purpose of the SCSC-22 is to assess children’s self-concept and self-esteem as perceived by the children themselves. Through their responses, the scale aims to identify the extent to which children hold a positive or negative attitude toward themselves.

Self-concept is considered an important aspect of psychosocial development because it may be associated with children’s adjustment to school and social environments and with the way they respond to everyday demands and challenges.

Structure of the Instrument

The scale contains 22 statements formulated in a simple and understandable way for children of primary-school age.

The items reflect different aspects of self-perception and are combined to provide an overall indicator of how children evaluate and experience themselves.

Scoring

Each item is rated on a five-point response scale:

1 = Not at all
2 = Rarely
3 = Sometimes
4 = Often
5 = Most of the time

Items 10, 17, and 20 are reverse-scored before the total score is calculated.

The final score may be calculated either by summing the responses or by computing their mean. Higher scores indicate higher self-esteem and a more positive self-concept.

Validity

The scale has demonstrated evidence of convergent validity, as its scores have been significantly associated with anxiety levels measured by the Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. Children with higher anxiety levels tend to obtain lower self-esteem scores.

Its theoretical validity is also supported by the clarity and simplicity of the statements, which are considered suitable for primary-school children.

Reliability

The test-retest reliability of the SCSC-22 has been reported with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.73 to 0.91, indicating satisfactory to high stability of responses across repeated administrations.

The internal consistency of the scale is considered appropriate for research and educational use.

Data Analysis and Applications

Data analysis primarily involves the calculation of an overall self-concept or self-esteem score. Scores may be compared across groups based on characteristics such as gender, age, or educational and psychosocial context.

The SCSC-22 may also be used as a screening instrument for the early identification of low self-esteem, in psychoeducational interventions, and in the evaluation of programs designed to strengthen children’s self-image and self-esteem.

Results should be interpreted in relation to the child’s developmental and social context and should not be considered, on their own, as a clinical diagnosis.

References

Lipsitt, L. P. (1958). A self-concept scale for anxiety. Child Development, 29, 463–472.

Corcoran, K., & Fisher, J. (1987). Measures for Clinical Practice. New York: The Free Press.

Tsibidaki, A. (forthcoming). The Family with a Preschool- and School-Age Child with Special Needs. University of the Aegean, Department of Preschool Education and Educational Design.