Self-Concept of Academic Ability and the Adult College Student |
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| Authors: | Richard J. Gigliotti Carol C. Gigliotti |
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| Affiliation: | Is professor of sociology and special assistant to the president at the University of Akron. He previously served for nine years as chair of the Department of Sociology. He is a social psychologist whose research interests focus on social learning and adaptation, particularly in educational settings.;Is professor of office administration and assistant dean of the Community and Technical College at the University of Akron. Her research interests focus broadly on the arena of business communications. |
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| Abstract: | Adults' self-concept of academic ability is discussed within the larger context of self-concept theory, the presence of adults in college, and the sparse research on adult self-concept. The operation of adult self-concept was explored with data gathered from 480 undergraduate students age 25 or older. Adult self-concept of academic ability appeared to operate much as predicted by the theory. It was shaped from past academic activities (credits earned and GPA), and it affected subjective academic outcomes such as "how well one feels he/she is doing in college" and "whether one's goals are being met by the college experience." It also affected objective outcomes such as current credit load carried and grades attained. Self-concept did not vary by race, gender, or income, though it did vary by age. Subdomains of self-concept were explored, and the most important appeared to be interaction skills within the classroom. Relating academic self-concept to other psychological variables showed that it is unrelated to motivation, positively related to global self-esteem, and negatively related to depression, stress, and external attributions for academic success. |
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