Self-concepts in Japanese and American Elementary School Children: Psychometric Analysis of the Self-Description Questionnaire I (SDQ-I)

Abstract

The Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ-I) was administered to 1049 Japanese and 308 US elementary school children in 3rd through 5th grade in order to examine its reliability and validity. A multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that the SDQ had an eight-factor structure across the Japanese and American samples. The SDQ had adequate internal consistency and reliability. In both countries, males showed higher levels of self-concept in Physical Ability and Math, whereas females showed higher levels of self-concept in Reading. There was a tendency for the level of self-concept to decline with age in the Japanese sample, but there were no significant age differences in the American sample. The American sample showed significantly higher levels of self-concept for all eight factors than the Japanese sample. The differences of self-concepts between the two countries were discussed from the perspective of cultural psychology. Several advantages of using the SDQ in school settings and for research were proposed.