Is Self-Concept a Reliable Predictor of Economic Status?

Abstract

To determine the extent to which self-concept could reliably predict whether black high school students would be correctly classified as having advantaged (middle) or disadvantaged (lower) economic status 200 middle- and 200 lower-status boys and girls from five high school grades of a large southeastern city were given the Tennessee Self-concept Scale. The model utilizing 8 variables correctly classified 266 subjects as 180 advantaged and 220 disadvantaged. More correct classifications (143) were made for disadvantaged than for advantaged (123). More students in lower grades were correctly placed; more students in upper grades were classified as disadvantaged. Fewer misclassifications (30.5%) of girls were made than of boys (36.5%). Variables with the highest standardized discriminant coefficients were Identity and Personal Self.

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