Academic Self-Concept, Interest, Grades, and Standardized Test Scores: Reciprocal Effects Models of Causal Ordering
2005/03/01 by Herbert W. Marsh, Herbert W Marsh, Ulrich Trautwein +3 · 1,204 citations
Mathematics · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Academic achievement #Career Development and Diversity #Causal model #Developmental psychology #Education, Achievement, and Giftedness #German #Longitudinal data #Longitudinal study #Mathematics #Mathematics education #Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports #Psychology #Reciprocal #Self-concept #Standardized test #Statistics #Test (biology)
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00853.x
published in Child Development 76(2), 397-416 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2005/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Abstract
Reciprocal effects models of longitudinal data show that academic self-concept is both a cause and an effect of achievement. In this study this model was extended to juxtapose self-concept with academic interest. Based on longitudinal data from 2 nationally representative samples of German 7th-grade students (Study 1: N = 5,649, M age = 13.4; Study 2: N = 2,264, M age = 13.7 years), prior self-concept significantly affected subsequent math interest, school grades, and standardized test scores, whereas prior math interest had only a small effect on subsequent math self-concept. Despite stereotypic gender differences in means, linkages relating these constructs were invariant over gender. These results demonstrate the positive effects of academic self-concept on a variety of academic outcomes and integrate self-concept with the developmental motivation literature.
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