University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Growth in academic and social non-ability-based confidence in American and Chinese adolescents

Vogt, Randi Louise

Content Files
VOGT-DISSERTATION-2022.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115683

Description

Title
Growth in academic and social non-ability-based confidence in American and Chinese adolescents
Author(s)
Vogt, Randi Louise
Issue Date
2022-04-08
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Briley, Daniel A
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Briley, Daniel A
Committee Member(s)
  • Derringer, Jaime
  • Fraley, R. Chris
  • Newman, Dan A
  • Pomerantz, Eva M
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • overconfidence
  • adolescence
  • growth curve modeling
  • autonomy
Abstract
Non-ability-based confidence is an individual’s level of confidence that is not calibrated to their ability level. Some people have positive non-ability-based confidence and are overconfident, other people have negative non-ability-based confidence and are underconfident, and others have non-ability-based confidence close to zero and are calibrated in their confidence. Little is known about how non-ability-based confidence develops and whether it changes over time. Using a sample of 420 American adolescents (n = 212 boys, 208 girls) and 514 Chinese adolescents (n = 276 boys, 238 girls) assessed in the fall of 7th grade, spring of 7th grade, and fall of 8th grade, I constructed a non-ability-based confidence variable using a latent variable residual approach for academic confidence (self-perceptions of how well they do in school) and academic ability (students’ semester grades), as well as social confidence (self-perceptions of social skills, likeability, and popularity) and social ability (peer nominations of who is popular, admired, and well-liked). I used growth curve modeling to find that both academic (d ≈ -.1) and social (d ≈ -.3) non-ability-based confidence decreased from the beginning of 7th grade to the middle of 8th grade. Then, I calculated the associations between the latent intercept and slopes. Academic and social non-ability-based confidence were moderately correlated (r ≈ .4) in the fall of 7th grade, and individuals tended to follow somewhat similar patterns of change (r ≈ .4) through 8th grade. Finally, I found that the level of autonomy the child receives in the academic and social domains relates to their initial level of academic and social non-ability-based confidence (r ≈ |.1|), but not growth (r ≈ 0). Across these analyses, I examined gender and culture differences in the level of academic and social non-ability-based confidence and the pattern of change over time. These results inform our understanding of how non-ability-based confidence changes over an important period in the development of self-identity, by domain, and with respect to autonomy support from parents.
Graduation Semester
2022-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115683
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2022 Randi Vogt

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