ACADEMIC SELF‐CONCEPT, ACCURACY OF PERCEIVED ABILITY AND ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT

Summary. Self‐concept theories have emphasised the crucial importance of developing a realistic self‐image. Positive self‐regard with a realistic basis should differ in its relations to both antecedents and outcomes from similar self‐assessment which has no such basis. However, the feasibility of studying accuracy of self‐concept empirically was seriously questioned due to the absence of a criterion determining what the individual actually is. The present study examines one fact of this issue, namely accuracy of academic self‐concept. The academic self‐concept of 287 elementary school pupils was compared with teacher ratings of their academic ability and school performance. Regression and path analyses indicated that accuracy of perceived ability has an independent unique effect on academic attainment beyond the effects of academic self‐concept and background variables. Different patterns of relations between these variables were found for pupils who tended to overestimate their academic ability and those who were inclined to underestimate it. Accuracy and biases in academic self‐concept were discussed in terms of their contribution to academic attainment for different groups of pupils. 1991 The British Psychological Society