Ideal-Real Self-Concept and State-Trait Anxiety in Turkish University Students According to CHAID Analysis

The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between ideal and real self-concept and state-trait anxiety of the university students, and variables such as age, gender, and income according to CHAID analysis. The instruments used for data collection are Ideal and Real Self-Concept Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and personal information questionnaire. According to CHAID analysis, ideal-self-concept correlated with trait anxiety, birth order, and income. Results revealed correlation of real-self-concept both with trait anxiety and state-anxiety and grade level. A relationship is also found in the difference between ideal and real self-concept and trait anxiety, mother's education, age, and income. ********** Self-concept has been the center of interest for many researchers in the discipline of psychology, as well as other disciplines. The basis for this interest began with Cooley and Mead (Hampson, 1988:164) and continued with Freud and his followers: Erikson, Homey, Rogers, Kohut and Maslow. These theorists attributed a central role to self in personality and development (Dweck, 2000:138). Self-concept is defined as a person's perception, emotion and attitude toward one's own self (Marshall, 1989; Plucker & Stocking, 2002; Wall, 1986). These perceptions, emotions and attitudes change in relationship to positive (Marshall, 1989) and negative reactions (Giant & Vartanian, 2003) of significant others in the person's environment. Positive reactions (i.e.rewarding) within time cause development of self values in a child (Marshall, 1989). Different views are proposed regarding whether self-concept reflects multiple or a single unity structure (Campbell, Assanand & Di Paula, 2003). A common idea is that self is a multidimensional construct which consists of very different cognitive and affective components. It is proposed that self-concept is multi-dimensional by age (Marsh & Ayotte, 2003; Marshall, 1989; Sallay, 2000; Wall, 1986), and can be organized, hierarchical, developmental, evaluative, and diverse (Bong & Clark, 1999). On the other hand, a consensus has been reached that self is a unitary structure which depicts global ideas such as self-esteem and self-clarity (Nowak, Vallacher, Tesser & Borkowski, 2000; Rogers, Kuiper & Kirker, 1977). Within the unitary structure of self the desired-self and the real self-concept can differentiate. While ideal self-concept is related to a person's qualities that he desires, real self-concept is related to what he possesses (Waugh, 2001). Specific qualities of self-concept (i.e. physical appearance) change self-esteem (Marsh, 1986). While the differentiation in self-concept is more related to negative psychological wellness both in young people and adults (Diehl, Hastings & Stanton, 2001), self's unity construct relates to adaptation (Campbell et al., 2003). Both longitudinal and cross sectional studies show specific characteristics of self-concept increase positively by age (Guay, Marsh & Boivin, 2003). When a child is growing, especially during pre and middle childhood, school, peers, and parents cause important increases in self-concept and self-esteem (Frisby & Tucker, 1993). A similar study with adolescents has shown the same results (Liable, Carlo & Roesch, 2004). The difference between the dimensions of self-concept decreases from early adolescence until mid-adolescence (Marsh & Ayotte, 2003), whilst it increases toward early adulthood (Marsh, 1989). However, it cannot be said that parent relations always increase self-esteem. Rather, this situation will vary depending on the social relations network. In her research, Inanc (1990) found that Turkish students have stronger family ties, but their relationship with their families is more adverse. So although family ties are stronger in Turkish adolescents, it cannot be said that these ties are affective in increasing self-concept. Ideal-self is an important part of a personality's self-system, and the discrimination between the real-self and the ideal-self constitutes a person's self-esteem (Higgs, 1987; McCann & Sato, 2000). …