Dimensional Comparison Theory: Perceived Subject Similarity Impacts on Students’ Self-Concepts

Abstract

Dimensional comparison theory (DCT) defines dimensional comparisons as intraindividual comparisons that a person draws between his or her own achievements in two domains or subjects. DCT assumes that dimensional comparisons influence students’ academic self-concepts, causing stronger self-concept differences between subjects perceived as dissimilar, such as math and English, than between subjects perceived as more similar, like math and physics. However, there have been no experimental studies testing the causal effect of perceived subject similarity on domain-specific self-concepts. In the present research, three experimental studies analyzed the effects of experimentally induced higher or lower perceived subject similarity on academic self-concept differences: Study 1 (N = 351), with math and German; Study 2a (N = 148), with math and physics; and Study 2b (N = 161), with English and German, show that, in line with expectations, induced lower perceived subject similarity led to stronger self-concept differences than did higher perceived similarity. Some implications of the results for DCT are discussed.