Piers-Harris Children'S Self-Concept Scale

The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS), published by Psychological Assessment Resources, is also titled “The Way I Feel About Myself.” It is a self-reported instrument that was designed to be used in research as well as in clinical and educational settings. Thus, the purpose of the PHCSCS is to measure conscious self-perceptions in children rather than drawing inferences from perceptions of other people [Page 771]or behavioral observations. The PHCSCS is an important contribution to the field of self-concept's measuring instruments, because its items portray global as well as particular areas of self-concept prior to the current focal point of multidimensionality.

The test was conceived as a unidimensional measurement device of children's self-concept in connection with six areas of their everyday functioning: Behavior (BEH), Intellectual and School Status (INT), Physical Appearance and Attributes (PHY), Anxiety (ANX), Popularity (POP), and Happiness and Satisfaction (HAP). However, the multidimensional status of the scale has been pointed out in the most recent research. The PHCSCS includes two additional scales, the Inconsistency Index and the Response Bias Index.

The original scale contained 80 items, but a second edition consists of 60 items. Both are answered by a dichotomous “yes” or “no” response (e.g., “I am a happy person…yes no”). All the domains of the scale have the same names in both editions, except for two: Behavior has changed to Behavioral Adjustment (BEH), and Anxiety has changed to Freedom from Anxiety (FRE).

The theoretical rationale of its construction is based on the notion that the self-concept expresses both an overall aspect of self and special perceptions that are formed through interaction with other people. More specifically, the reasoning is derived from the following assumptions: (a) The self-concept has a phenomenological nature, (b) the self-concept has global and social elements, (c) the self-concept is relatively stable, (d) the self-concept has appraisable and descriptive elements, (e) the self-concept is affected by developmental considerations, and (f) the self-concept is organized and plays a leading part in motivation.

The PHCSCS measures the self-concept of children ages 8–18 years (Grades 4 through 12), and the test taker will need 30 minutes to complete it. The test can be administered individually or in groups. The scale yields a total score and separate scale scores, both of which are converted to stanines, percentile ranks, and T scores.

The PHCSCS has adequate internal consistency reliability, although its test-retest reliability is low and its construct validity is modest.

The instrument is useful for screening purposes in clinical, educational, and research settings.