SELF CONCEPT QUESTIONNAIRE

AIM

To assess the self-concept of an individual using the Self Concept Questionnaire

designed by Dr. R.K Saraswat.

BASIC CONCEPT

SELF- Self refers to totality of an individual’s conscious experiences, ideas,

thoughts and feelings with regard to himself and herself.
HOW DOES SELF DEVELOP- A newly born child has no idea of itself. As a child
grows older, the idea of self emerges and its formation begins. Parents, friends,
teachers and significant others play a vital role in shaping a child’s ideas about self.
Our interactions with other people, our experiences and the meaning we give to
them serve as the basis of ourself. The structure of self is modifiable in the light of
our own experiences and the experiences we have of other people.
PERSONAL IDENTITY- It refers to those attributes of a person that makes him
different from others.eg. Name.
SOCIAL IDENTITY- It refers to those aspects of a person that link him to social or
cultural group.
SELF AS SUBJECT AND OBJECT- When self is described as doing something (I am
a dancer), it is a subject. On the other hand if it is describes as an entity on which
something is done, it is described as object.
KINDS OF SELF
1. Personal Self- this leads to an orientation in which one feels primarily concerned
with oneself.
2. Social self- the social self emerges in relation with others and emphasizes such
aspects of life as cooperation, unity, affiliation, sacrifice, support or sharing. This
self values family and social relationship. Hence it is also called familial or relational
self.
SELF CONCEPT- The way we perceive ourselves and the ideas we hold about our
competencies and attributes is also called self-concept. It can be either positive or
negative. A person can have a very positive view of his athletic bravery but a
negative view of his academic talents.

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SELF ESTEEM: The value judgment which a person has about himself/herself is
called Self Esteem. Studies indicate that by the age of 6 to 7 yrs children seem to
have formed self-esteem at least in four areas- academic competence, social
competence, athletic competence and physical appearance.
SELF EFFICACY refers to the belief of a prson in his ability to control life outcomes.

PRELIMINARIES

NAME-

AGE-

GENDER-

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS-

MATERIAL REQUIRED

1. Manual for Self Concept Questionnaire

2. Consumable booklet for Self Concept Questionnaire
3. Pencil & Eraser

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST

Self Concept questionnaire has been designed by Dr. R. K. Saraswat and provides
six separate dimensions of self-concept, physical, social, intellectual, moral,
educational and temperamental self-concept.

i. Physical- individual’s view of their body, health, physical appearance and

strength.
ii. Social- Individual’s sense of worth in social interactions.
iii. Temperamental-Individuals view of their prevailing emotional state or
predominance of a particular kind of emotional reaction.
iv. Educational- Individual’s view of themselves in relation to school, teachers
and extracurricular activities.
v. Moral- Individual’s estimation of their moral worth; right and wrong activities.
vi. Intellectual- Individuals’ awareness of their intelligence and capacity of
problem solving and judgments.

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USES

SCQ can be used effectively to assess the self-concept of adolescents from the Age
group 14 to 18 years. There have been many studies that have tried to understand
the impact of self-concept on other behaviors. Few examples are given as follows;
i. Self-concept of high and low achieving adolescents.
ii. Self-concept of obese and non-obese urban teenagers.
iii. Self-concept and academic achievement.
iv. Career aspiration of school going slum adolescents.

PROCEDURE

a) RAPPORT FORMATION:
The participant was called inside the laboratory and was made comfortable.
The participant was briefed about the aim of the test. Once the participant
was settled the test was started.
b) INSTRUCTIONS:
‘This is a self-concept inventory. There are 48 items in it. Against each item
there are 5 responses. You have to read each item carefully and respond to it
by marking (ü) on any one of the five responses given against that item,
which you think describe you well. There is no right or wrong answer. The
right answer is only what you feel about yourself. Try to give responses
according to what you feels about yourself with reference to that a
statement. Your answers will be kept confidential.’
After the above instructions, administrator should explain the example given
on the inventory.’
c) PRECAUTIONS:

i. The room should be well lit and well ventilated.

ii. There should not be any noise in the room.
iii. The seating arrangement should be comfortable.
iv. There is no time limit.
v. Instructions should be made clear to the participant.
vi. No item should be left unanswered.
vii. Proper rapport should be established before starting the practical.

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viii. It should be made sure that only one answer has been marked for each
question.
ix. It should be made clear to the participant that their answers must be marked
inside the boxes.
x. Make sure that the key and questionnaire which is being scored are properly
aligned; the number in front of the questions on the inventory should
correspond with the number of the key.
d) SCORING:
The alternatives given in SCQ were arranged in such a way that the scoring
system for all the items would remain the same i.e. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 whether the
items were positive or negative. The summated score of all the items
provides the total self-concept score of an individual. A high score on the
questionnaire indicates a higher self-concept, while a low score shows
lower self-concept.

INTROSPECTIVE REPORT

Written by the participant. How did the participant feel while doing the test? (This is
to be written in first person)

BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION

Examiner’s observation of the subject during testing. What were your observations
while the participant was taking the test? Comfortable/Nervous/Distracted/Asked a
lot of Questions/Completed the test on time).

RESULTS

Self-Concept- Code Self-concept INTERPRETATION

Dimensions No. dimension score
Physical A 31 Above Average
Self Concept
Social B 29 Above Average
Self Concept
Temperamental C 25 Above Average

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 Self Concept
Educational D 20 Average Self
concept
Moral E 31 Above Average
Self Concept
Intellectual F 26 Above Average
Self Concept
Raw score of total 162 Above Average
self-concept Self Concept

INTERPRETATION

Self-concept questionnaire is designed by Dr. R. K Saraswat and measures self-

concept of an adolescent in six different areas- physical, social, temperamental,
educational, moral and intellectual. The term self-concept is a general term used to
refer to how someone thinks about, evaluates or perceives themselves. To be aware
of oneself is to have a concept of oneself. A healthy and strong self-concept will
help you to get ahead in life. It will allow you to maximize your potential and get the
most out of your strengths, talents and abilities. On the other hand, a weak self-
concept will hinder your progress. In fact, a weak self-concept will most likely lead
to self-sabotage behavior.

Total Self-Concept

The participant got a total score of 145 in SCQ. This indicates that the participant
has above average self-concept.

Self-Concept Dimensions

Physical

The participant got a raw score of 17. This indicates an average self-concept score.
He doesn’t think too highly of his body, health, physical appearance and strength
nor does he completely undermine these factors.

Social

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The participant got a raw score of 25. This is an indication of above average self-
concept. He feels fairly worthy while he is interacting with people in different
situations.

 Note: Interpretation of all the factors is to be written. Above mentioned are

just samples.

CONCLUSION
 Write the self-concept dimensions where the participant is showing high,
above average, average, below average and low self-concept.

REFERERNCES

a. SCQ Manual

b. NCERT Textbook- XII

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 Please write the interpretation in the space given below. It should be
approved by the teacher before fairing it in the practical file.

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