How students determine the importance of self-perception domains and how this relates to self-esteem

The purpose of the study was to test the selectivity hypothesis according to which individuals selectively assign the greatest importance to those domains in their life in which their self-perceptions are most positive and assign the least importance to areas in which their self-perceptions are poorest. The sample of the study consisted of 1033 Greek senior high school students in grades eleven and twelve. Our findings revealed that for all eight domains examined in our study, except for physical appearance, there was a self-perception significant and positive main effect on the domains' importance. Thus, the lower the self-perception in a specific domain, the lower the importance assigned to the domain. These tendencies were somewhat stronger for participants with higher self-esteem. Physical appearance was the domain which even the high self-esteem students found most difficult to discount. Among the two subscales tapping students' likeability by peers, the domain of close friendship seems to be somewhat easier to discount than the domain of acceptance by classmates. The discounting of behavioural conduct offers the platform for a culturally interesting interpretation on the basis of the Greek concept of 'philotimo'. © 2001, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Academic intrinsic motivation: Developmental differences and relations to perceived scholastic competence, locus of control and achievement

The construct of academic motivation has substantial validity and significance for children's effective school functioning. The scope of the present study was to address issues concerning academic motivational orientation in Greek elementary and junior high school children (grades six through nine). More specifically the study (a) examined the grade and sex effects on children's academic motivation, (b) sought to identify correlates of a child's motivational orientation, and (c) investigated the impact of academic motivation and locus of control on self-perception of scholastic competence. Support was found that: (a) preference for challenge and intrinsic interest in the subject material - the two dimensions of academic intrinsic motivation considered in our study - decline with grade level; (b) boys show higher preference for challenge than do girls, while sex differences in intrinsic interest in the subject material shift in the favour of boys with grade level (i.e. smaller differences in favour of girls); (c) academic intrinsic motivation is positively related to self-perception of scholastic competence and achievement, and negatively related to external locus of control; (d) the effects of academic motivation and locus of control on children's perception of their scholastic competence are additive and they do not interact with one another. © 1999, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Depressive Symptomatology in Greek Preadolescents: The Role of Parenting Style Perceptions

The relationships between preadolescents’ perceptions of their parents’ parenting style and depressive symptomatology were examined in a sample of 640 Greek preadolescents (mean age = 11.82 years, SD = .83). Children completed the Paternal Style and Dimensions Questionnaire, the Maternal Style and Dimensions Questionnaire, and the Children's Depression Inventory. According to the results, there is a significant link between parenting style (both for mothers and fathers) and depressive symptoms as manifested by preadolescents. In this study, gender differences were not found. Furthermore, the results indicate that preadolescents’ perception of their parents’ style is a significant factor in predicting depressive symptomatology. Finally, the present findings highlight the influence of parenting styles on children's psychological wellbeing. © 2015, Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC