Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Children’s Version

Abstract

The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Children’s Version (TSCS:CV) is a standardized psychological assessment tool designed to measure the complex construct of self-concept in children. Adapted from the original Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) developed by William H. Fitts, the Children’s Version provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional view of how children perceive themselves across various behavioral and content domains.

The scale consists of 76 items utilizing a 5-point Likert-type scale response format, ranging from “always false” to “always true.” It is used widely in clinical, educational, and research settings to identify areas of strength and potential vulnerability in a child’s self-perception, which is crucial for intervention planning and guidance.

Keywords

Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, TSCS:CV, self-concept, children, psychological measure, self-esteem, W.H. Fitts, personality assessment.

Authors

W.H. Fitts, Ph.D., W.L. Warren, Ph.D.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the TSCS:CV is to provide a detailed, quantitative measure of a child’s self-concept. Unlike global measures of self-esteem, the TSCS:CV is designed to differentiate between specific facets of self-perception, allowing clinicians and researchers to pinpoint areas where a child may experience positive or negative feelings about themselves, such as in academic or social settings.

The scale is utilized for screening, diagnosis, and evaluating the effectiveness of counseling or educational interventions. By measuring the child’s internal frame of reference regarding their behavior, relationships, and abilities, the instrument helps professionals understand the complex structure of the developing self-image in youth.

Construct

The central construct measured is Self-Concept, defined as the individual’s perception of self, formed through experience with the environment and interpreted through personal values. The TSCS framework organizes self-concept into external frames of reference (Identity, Self-Satisfaction, Behavior) and internal areas of content.

The structure typically assesses six primary subscales reflecting different content areas. These content areas include the Physical Self (health, appearance, skills), Moral-Ethical Self (moral worth, conduct), Personal Self (sense of adequacy, personality), Family Self (feelings of worth in the family unit), Social Self (relationships with peers and others), and Academic/School Self (perception of ability and success in school).

Validity

The validity of the TSCS:CV has been extensively studied, building upon the robust psychometric history of the adult TSCS. Studies often report strong evidence of construct validity, demonstrating that the scale scores correlate appropriately with other established measures of self-esteem, adjustment, and academic achievement.

Specifically, the scale exhibits high correlations with measures of internalizing and externalizing problems, showing that low scores on positive self-concept dimensions are predictive of behavioral and emotional difficulties. Furthermore, the scale demonstrates discriminant validity by showing low correlations with measures of constructs theoretically unrelated to self-concept, ensuring it is measuring the intended trait.

Reliability

The reliability of the TSCS:CV is generally reported as high across various studies involving child and adolescent populations. Internal consistency, typically measured using coefficient alpha, often falls within the acceptable range (0.80 and above) for the total score and most subscale scores, indicating homogeneity among the items within each domain.

Additionally, test-retest reliability studies confirm the stability of the measure over short intervals, suggesting that the self-concept structure in children, as measured by the TSCS:CV, is reasonably stable unless significant intervening life events occur. These high reliability estimates support the use of the instrument for clinical decision-making and research.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic studies performed on the TSCS:CV generally support the multi-dimensional structure hypothesized by the authors. While the exact number of factors extracted can vary slightly depending on the sample population and methodology (e.g., exploratory vs. confirmatory factor analysis), results consistently reveal distinct factors corresponding to the major content areas (e.g., Physical, Family, Academic).

These findings reinforce the conceptualization of self-concept as a complex hierarchy rather than a single unified construct. The factor structure validates the practice of interpreting individual subscale scores rather than relying solely on the Total Self-Concept score for nuanced understanding of the child’s psychological profile.

Instrument

Test Type: Standardized self-report psychological assessment.

Format: 76 items using a 5-point Likert-type response scale (1=always false, 5=always true).

Language Available: Primarily English; translations may be available depending on the publisher and region.

Population Group: Children and early adolescents.

Age Group: Typically 8 to 14 years old (Grades 3 through 9).

Population Details: Suitable for use with general, clinical, and special education populations.

Test Methodology: Individual or group administration; requires the respondent to indicate how accurately each statement describes them.

Keywords

Children’s self-esteem, self-perception, psychological scale, Fitts, Warren, academic self-concept, social self, family relationships, psychometrics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not publicly standardized for these authors.

Affiliation Email addresses: Unavailable.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the current scale publisher (e.g., Western Psychological Services) for licensing and contact information.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale is proprietary. Usage requires purchase and proper licensing from the authorized publisher (historically Western Psychological Services). Fees vary based on administration format (manual vs. digital scoring).

The original adult scale was first published in 1965. The Children’s Version (TSCS:CV) was developed later, with normative data and manuals appearing in subsequent decades, reflecting its adaptation for younger age groups.

The provided reference is a research paper utilizing the scale: Kramschuster, Jenny Lynn. The original PDF can be downloaded here: [Link Not Provided in Source].

Reference’s

• Fitts, W. H. (1965). Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Manual. Counselor Recordings and Tests.
• Kramschuster, Jenny Lynn. A Research Paper, Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree With a Major in Guidance and Counseling The Graduate College. University of Wisconsin-Stout. August, 2001.
• Warren, W. L. & Fitts, W. H. (Various dates). Manual for the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Children’s Version.

Items of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Children’s Version

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Responses for each item take the form of 1=always false, 2=mostly false, 3=partly false and partly true, 4=mostly true, and 5= always true.

1. I like the way I look.

2. I have a happy family.

3. I don’t sleep well.

4. It’s hard for me to do what’s right.

5. I know as much as the other children in my class.

6. I’m happy with who I am.

7. I don’t feel well as I should.

8. It’s hard for me to be around other people.

9. I don’t do well in school, even I try.

10. I really care about my family.

11. I’m as nice as I should be .

12. I don’t feel happy when I’m smart.

13. It’s hard for someone to be my friend.

14. My family doesn’t trust me.

15. My teacher thinks I am smart.

16. I get along well with other people.

17. I hate myself.

18. I’m not the person I would like to be.

19. H am an honest person.

20. I feel good most of time.

21. My body is healthy.

22. I am a decent sort of person.

23. I’m a cheerful person.

24. I’m not important at all.

25. My family will always help me.

26. I am a friend person.

27. Boys like me.

28. I don’t always tell the truth.

29. I get angry sometimes.

30. I have lots of aches and paints.

31. I am a sick person.

32. Math is hard.

33. I have a lot of self-control.

34. I’m not a nice person.

35. I am not loved by my family.

36. Girls like me.

37. I’m mad at the whole world.

38. Once in a while I think of things too bad to talk about.

39. Sometimes when I am not feeling well, I get cranky.

40. I don’t want to change the way I look.

41. I’d like to change some part of my body.

42. I think I do the right things most of the time.

43. I understand what I read.

44. I wish I could be more trustworthy.

45. I know my family as well as I should.

46. I’m as friendly as I want to be.

47. I do not like everyone I know.

48. Sometimes I laugh at a dirty joke.

49. I shouldn’t tell so many lies.

50. I’m as smart as I want to be.

51. I should love my family more.

52. I’m not as smart as the other children in my class.

53. It’s easy for me to do a good job on my homework.

54. I am a bad person.

55. I should get along better with other people.

56. Sometimes h feel like swearing.

57. I take good care of my body.

58. I often clumsy.

59. I some times do very bad things.

60. I do things without thinking about them first.

61. I try to be fair with my friends and family.

62. I do what my parents want me to do, even when I don’t agree with them.

63. I don’t forgive other people easily.

64. I’m not good at sports and games.

65. I sometimes cheat.

66. I solve my problems very easily.

67. I fight with my family.

68. I don’t act the way my family think I shoud.

69. Most people are good.

70. I find it hard to talk with people I don’t know.

71. Sometimes I put off until tomorrow what I ought to do to day.

72. I know the answers to questions the teacher asks.

73. I do what’s right most of times.

74. I’m happy with the way I treat other people.

75. I’ll never be as smart as other people.

76. I like to do math.