TEST NO.

SELF CONCEPT

SELF CONCEPT QUESTIONNAIRE(SCQ)

Aim: To assess the various dimensions of self concept of a class XII student using Dr.
Saraswat`s Self Concept Questionnaire.

Basic Concept:

Self – It refers to totality of an individual`s conscious experiences, ideas, thoughts and

The concept of self is created to help understand the personality theory better.

How does self develop – a newly born child has no idea of its self. 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. For e.g. My name is Sonal/Mohan

Social Identity – It refers to those aspects of a person that link him/her to social or cultural
group. For e.g. I am a Muslim

Self-concept – The way we perceive ourselves and the ideas we hold about our competencies
and attributes is also called self-concept. This can be either positive or negative. A person
may have a positive view of her/his athletics or bravery but a negative view of his academic
talent. Studies indicate that by the age of 6-7 yrs children seem to have formed seld esteem
atleast in four areas:

 Academics
 Social Competence
 Atheletic competence
 Physical appearance

Self-efficacy – refers to the believe of a person in his ability to control life outcomes.

Self as subject and object – When self is described as doing something [ I am dancer], it is a
subject. On the other other hand if it describes as an entity on which something is done, it is
described as subject.

Kinds of self
  Personal self – this leads to an orientation in which one feels primarily conserned
with oneself.
 Social self -the social self emerges in relation with others and emphasizes such
aspects of life as cooperation, unity, sacrifice, support or sharing.

Self-regulation

It refers to the ability to organise and monitor our overt behavior. People who are able to
change their behavior according to the demands of the external environment are high on self-
regulation.

History and Description of SCQ

The SCQ was developed by Dr. R.K.Saraswat and it provides six separate dimensions of self
concept, namely physical [view about their body and health], social [sense of worth in social
interactions], temperamental [emotional state], educational [in relation to school, teachers and
co-curricular activities], moral [moral worth] and intellectual [ awareness of their intelligence
and capacity to solve problems].

Reliability

Test – retest reliability is 0.85

Subject Description

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Materials Required

SCQ manual, SCQ questionnaire form, pen/pencil

Precautions

1. Optimal conditions for testing were ensured before the test begun
2. Time of start and finish were noted
3. The tester ensured that the subject is not familiar with the test.
4. Subject was told that there is no correct answer.
5. Subject did not skip any item
6. Subject was assured of confidentiality of test results.

Rapport Formation
Rapport was established between the subject and the tester, prior to the test so that he/she
could feel comfortable and at ease. In such a state, she/he should answer the questions in a
calm manner and any doubts should be cleared before starting the test.

Instructions

The following instructions were given before starting the test.

‘’Sit comfortably. This is at test to assess your self concept. There are 48 questions (items) in
the questionnaire..In each item there are five answer options. Don’t leave any question .There
are no right or wrong answers.Give the first natural answer as it comes to you. When in
doubt, give the best possible answer.Read the questions carefully and a `√` for whichever
option suits you the best.There is no time limit for this test’’

Test Administration

After the instructions were given, the subject was asked to fill in the demographic details.
The subject was asked to check whether he/she left any items unanswered.

Introspective Report/Verbal report

The test was quite insightful and fun to do. The tester made me feel at ease.

[You can write the introspective report given by your subject]

Behavioural report

The subject was calm while answering the questions. He/she did not take a long time in
completing the test.

Scoring

The respondent was provided with five alternatives to give his/her responses ranging from
most acceptable to least acceptable description of his/her self concept. The responses were in
such a way that the scoring system for all the items remain the same i.e 5,4,3,2,1 whether the
items are positive or negative. If the subject puts a tick mark for first alternative the score is
5, for second alternative the score is 4 and so on. The summated score of all the eight items in
each self-concept dimension provide the total self-concept score for that dimension. A high
score on this indicates a higher self-concept and vice versa. All the scores of each dimension
was added to get the total score .

RESULT TABLE-

A B C D E F

Dimensions Physical Social Temperamental Educationa Moral Intellectual

Total Score

Category

Sum of all Areas_------------ Category------------------

Analysis and interpretation- please summarise answers from the answer sheet and write

My subject got a score of ____ in the physical dimension which means he/she has _____
self-concept of her/his own body, health and physical appearance and strength.

My subject feels that she is beautiful/has a satisfactory appearance, is physically strong and
has a fair complexion.

In social dimension my subject got ____ self-concept which means he/she has ____ self-
concept about her interpersonal skills and social interactions.

Her friends seek her advice, she expresses herself freely, organizes gatherings, etc.

In temperamental dimension, he/she got a score of ___ which corresponds to ____ self-
concept about his/her emotional state and reactions.

He/she got ____ score in educational dimension which shows that he/she has ____ self-
concept in relation to school, teachers and extra-curricular activities.

My subject got a score of ___ in moral dimension which means he/she has ____ self-
concept in his/her moral worth.

In intellectual dimension, he/she scored _____ which corresponds to ____ self-concept in

Conclusion

My subject has a score of _____ in total self-concept which means he/she has _____ self-
concept

References

SCQ Manual
NCERT Psychology textbook, XII