The “self” is all the things that make up who you are, like your thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences (Durand-Bush & DesClouds, 2019). It’s like a puzzle where all the pieces come together to make you, you! There are different parts to the self, like self-awareness and self-esteem, and they can affect how you feel about yourself and how you do in different situations (Baumeister, 1998).
Self-concept is one of those parts, and it’s like the picture you have of yourself in your head. It’s shaped by what you think and feel about yourself (Durand-Bush & DesClouds, 2019), and it can affect how well you do in sports or school (Marsh & Martin, 2011; Marsh, et al, 2006). It’s important to have a positive self-concept so that you feel good about yourself (Leary & Tangney, 2003).
Self-esteem is another part, and it’s like how much you value yourself. It can change depending on how you’re doing and what other people think of you (Baumeister, 1998). It’s important to have good self-esteem so that you feel confident and happy (Leary & Tangney, 2003).
Baumeister, R. F. (1998). The self. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychol- ogy (pp. 680740). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Durand-Bush, N., & DesClouds, P. (2019). In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
Leary, M. R., & Tangney, J. P. (2003). Handbook of self and identity. New York, NY: Guilford.
Marsh, H. W., Chanal, J. P., & Sarrazin, G. P. (2006). Self- belief does make a difference: A reciprocal effects model of the causal ordering of physical self-concept and gymnastics performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(1), 101111.
Marsh, H. W., & Martin, A. J. (2011). Academic self-concept and academic achievement: Relations and causal ordering. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 5977.
