Big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept: A cross-cultural (26-country) test of the negative effects of academically selective schools
H. Marsh, and K. Hau. American Psychologist, 58 (5):
364--376(2003)
Abstract
Academically selective schools are intended to affect academic self-concept positively, but theoretical and empirical research demonstrates that the effects are negative. The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), an application of social comparison theory to educational settings, posits that a student will have a lower academic self-concept in an academically selective school than in a nonselective school. This study, the largest cross-cultural study of the BFLPE ever undertaken, tested theoretical predictions for nationally representative samples of approximately 4,000 15-year-olds from each of 26 countries (N = 103,558) who completed the same self-concept instrument and achievement tests. Consistent with the BFLPE, the effects of school-average achievement were negative in all 26 countries (M beta = -.20, SD = .08), demonstrating the BFLPE's cross-cultural generalizability.
%0 Journal Article
%1 MarshHau2003.20140805
%A Marsh, Herbert W.
%A Hau, Kit-Tai
%D 2003
%J American Psychologist
%K Selbstkonzept
%N 5
%P 364--376
%T Big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept: A cross-cultural (26-country) test of the negative effects of academically selective schools
%V 58
%X Academically selective schools are intended to affect academic self-concept positively, but theoretical and empirical research demonstrates that the effects are negative. The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), an application of social comparison theory to educational settings, posits that a student will have a lower academic self-concept in an academically selective school than in a nonselective school. This study, the largest cross-cultural study of the BFLPE ever undertaken, tested theoretical predictions for nationally representative samples of approximately 4,000 15-year-olds from each of 26 countries (N = 103,558) who completed the same self-concept instrument and achievement tests. Consistent with the BFLPE, the effects of school-average achievement were negative in all 26 countries (M beta = -.20, SD = .08), demonstrating the BFLPE's cross-cultural generalizability.
@article{MarshHau2003.20140805,
abstract = {Academically selective schools are intended to affect academic self-concept positively, but theoretical and empirical research demonstrates that the effects are negative. The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), an application of social comparison theory to educational settings, posits that a student will have a lower academic self-concept in an academically selective school than in a nonselective school. This study, the largest cross-cultural study of the BFLPE ever undertaken, tested theoretical predictions for nationally representative samples of approximately 4,000 15-year-olds from each of 26 countries (N = 103,558) who completed the same self-concept instrument and achievement tests. Consistent with the BFLPE, the effects of school-average achievement were negative in all 26 countries (M beta = -.20, SD = .08), demonstrating the BFLPE's cross-cultural generalizability.},
added-at = {2014-08-05T13:11:38.000+0200},
author = {Marsh, Herbert W. and Hau, Kit-Tai},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2f47e2289d2bbac2f76df59a8d137c0fd/agism-group},
interhash = {e1cc486f3cd22d0a2522310270790b3e},
intrahash = {f47e2289d2bbac2f76df59a8d137c0fd},
journal = {American Psychologist},
keywords = {Selbstkonzept},
number = 5,
pages = {364--376},
timestamp = {2014-08-05T13:18:28.000+0200},
title = {Big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept: A cross-cultural (26-country) test of the negative effects of academically selective schools},
volume = 58,
year = 2003
}