South African Children Conception of Self

The purpose of this study was to test the appropriateness of a multidimensional, hierarchically ordered model of self‐concept for an African sample. I explored this possibility in 215 Xhosa‐speaking young children in South Africa. Responses to a standard Self Description Questionnaire‐I (SDQ‐I) revealed, the item‐scale correlations and reliability coefficients obtained were encouraging. These results are then considered within the framework of exploratory factor analysis, in relation to other evidence of the cross‐cultural validity of both the SDQ‐I and the R.J. Shavelson, J.J. Hubner and G.C. Stanton (1976) model of self‐concept. Findings also showed a multidimensional academic and social self‐concept structure that becomes increasingly differentiated and a heirarchical ordering that becomes defined with gender and culture. Significantly, Xhosa youngsters thus evidenced more tendency to have relatively better opinions of their personal appearance (social self‐concept) when their means were compared to th...