Research shows a significant relationship between self-concept and academic achievement for the low up through average intellectual levels. There are, however, no like data for students of superior intelligence. The three primary objects of this research were to determine (1) the relationship between high intelligence/socioeconomic level and self-concept; (2) the significance of variance in age, sex, and reading achievement; and, (3) significant within-school variables. 148 economically advantaged elementary children were tested. The mean IQ was 131 ( SD, 12.5) and for this group, 70% had at least one parent who had completed graduate school. Subjects differed significantly from the normative group of the Piers-Harris; 83% exceeded their mean. Correlations between the self-concept scale and age, sex, IQ, and academic achievement were all nonsignificant. Students rated by their teachers as doing poorly academically did not score significantly differently from those rated satisfactory (less than 1 raw score point difference), and a study of specific items reflective of qualities of the school environment felt by Erickson to be vital showed that these children saw their teachers as fostering autonomy, initiative, and trust.
The Bender-Gestalt (Bender) designs were administered to 325 third-grade Ss of diverse cultural backgrounds and the Koppitz scoring system was applied to determine Ss' visual-perceptual-motor reproduction “errors.” Two comparisons were made: the first, between 654 first graders previously studied and the third-grade Ss considered in this study; the second, between the two third-grade groups. In this study, it is shown that: difficulty in reproducing Bender designs accurately tends to diminish from Grade 1 to Grade 3 but remains a problem in perceptual-visual maturation for culturally disadvantaged children. Additionally, there is a different developmental sequence for the two groups and certain visual-perceptual-motor reproduction tasks continue to be difficult for one group whereas others do not.
Ss manifesting different levels of achievement and affiliation motivation (TAT) were distinguished as predicted by E. Erikson's theory by an operational measure of ego identity (Rasmussen's Ego Identity Scale) in predicted directions. Results supported Erikson's contention that Ss who manifest high motivation, both in affiliation and in achievement, would show a more satisfactory ego identity than individuals who manifest other levels of achievement and affiliation motivation. Ss' levels of adult achievement motivation reflected the successful or unsuccessful resolution of the achievement crisis of the latency period. The study involved a series of 2 × 2 factorial designs defined by levels of achievement and affiliation motivation and related the four cells to ego identity development (Ego Identity Scale Score) and to the manner in which Ss resolved the achievement crisis (Subscale on Ego Identity Scale). Ss were 158 male college students between the ages of 17 and 25 yr.
Prince George's Cou?zty Board of Edrtcation, h I a r y l a~~d \Va~hington. D.C.Sr~nnzary.-The Spiral aftereffect ( S A E ) , the Necker Cube, and the Schroeder Staircase were the principal visual-perceptual techniques used to investig~re the incidence of perceptual immaturity among 667 first grade children of essentially normal intelligence who were individually tested. Depending upon the nature and complexity of the task, from 25 to 80% were unable to report experiencing a perceptual phenomenon which 100% of non-brain-damaged 10-yr.-olds report. Educational implications are cited and an emphasis is made upon maturational unreadiness at the first grade level as a major contributor to later reading disability. Norms and base rates for various SAE functions are presented by age, sex, socio-economic, reading-readiness and Bender-Gestalt test groupings. Similar findings are reported for the Necker and Schroeder reversing phenomena. Comparisons are made bemeen previous SAE findings for adults and present findings for children. The potential utility o € the SAE as an educational-diagnostic tool is emphasized. An implication of the over-all findings is that many children of normal intelligence are not ready to begin reading in the first grade.
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