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Mothers' Predictions of the Self—Concept of their Normal or Learning-Disabled Children

Two reported effects of the labeling process in special education were investigated in a study which assessed the self-concepts of 48 learning-disabled (LD) children, 54 of their normal age-mates, and 16 regular class students whose teachers indicated the need for special education services. In addition, the mothers of children in each group were asked to complete the same self-concept instrument, responding to the items as they predicted their children would respond. Self-concepts of the children groups were compared to test the hypothesis that labeling and segregating the educationally handicapped from the larger school population might reduce self-regard. Mothers' self-concept predictions were compared to the scores of their LD children to test the hypothesis that labeling a child may reduce parents' perceptions of the child's feelings of self-worth. Predictions made by mothers of normal children were used to assess the accuracy of prediction across the parenting groups. The results gleaned from mothers of low-achieving, regular-class students were used as a method of control in case of a possibility that parental predictions were influenced more by the child's achievement than by special education placement. Equivalence of self-concept across the regular and special-class children groups was interpreted through social comparison theory and the possibility that reduced heterogeneity of ability evident in special classes may bolster the self-concept of children educated in such environments. The lowered estimates of self-concept generated by mothers of LD students were discussed as an indirect effect of the labeling process whereby the label alters the perceptions of significant others as to the abilities of the labeled individual.