If one goes up the other must come down: Examining ipsative relationships between math and English self-concept trajectories across high school

Background: The Internal-External frame of reference (IE) model suggests that as self-concept in one domain goes up (e.g., English) self-concept in other domains (e.g., mathematics) should go down (ipsative self-concept hypothesis). Aims: To our knowledge this assumption has not been tested. Testing this effect also provides a context for illustrating different approaches to the study of growth with longitudinal data. Sample: We use cohort sequential data from 2,781 of Year 7 to Year 11 Australian high school students followed across a total of 10 time waves 6 months apart. Method: Three different approaches to testing the ipsative self-concept hypothesis were used: Autoregressive cross-lagged models, latent growth curve models, and autoregressive latent trajectory models (ALT); using achievement as a time varying covariate. Results: Cross-lagged and growth curve models provided little evidence of ipsative relationships between English and math self-concept. However, ALT models suggested that a rise above trend in one self-concept domain resulted in a decline from trend in self-concept in another domain. Conclusion: Implications for self-concept theory, interventions, and statistical methods for the study of growth are discussed.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Parker, Philip D., Marsh, Herbert W., Morin, Alexandre J. S., Seaton, Marjorie, & Van Zanden, Brooke. (2015). If One Goes up the Other Must Come Down: Examining Ipsative Relationships between Math and English Self-concept Trajectories across High School. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(2), 172-191, which has been published in final form at 10.1111/bjep.12050. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.