The Generalized Internal/External Frame of Reference Model: An Extension to Dimensional Comparison Theory
Main Article Content
Abstract
The dimensional comparison theory (DCT) is based on the internal/external frame of reference model (I/E model). The model focuses on the effects of external (e.g., “How good am I in math compared to my classmates?”) and internal, dimensional comparisons (e.g., “How good am I in math compared to English?”) on academic self-concepts with widespread consequences for students’ self-evaluation, motivation, and behavioral choices. This article presents an extension to the DCT: The proposal of a generalized internal/external frame of reference model (GI/E model that allows the application of previous findings on academic self-concepts to a variety of domain-specific comparison targets and standards. On the side of targets and standards it not only deals with the academic area but also with other areas, which are compared intra-individually. On the side of the consequences, it deals with other variables besides self-concepts, i.e. with motivational constructs, (learning) behaviors or personality characteristics as the outcomes of external and dimensional comparison processes. The present article closes with an examination and discussion of the contributions of the DCT by applying standards of good theories to it.
Article Details
How to Cite
Möller, J. (2016). The Generalized Internal/External Frame of Reference Model: An Extension to Dimensional Comparison Theory. Frontline Learning Research, 4(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v4i2.169
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References
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Arens, K. & Möller, J. (under review). Dimensional Comparisons: Effects on perceived learning environments. DIPF, Germany.
Albert, S. (1977). Temporal comparison theory. Psychological Review, 84, 485–503.
doi:10.1037/0033-295X.84.6.485
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Bong, M. (2013). Self-efficacy. In J. Hattie, E. M. Anderman (Eds.), International guide to student achievement (pp. 64-66). New York, NY, US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Chanal, J. P., Sarrazin, P. G., Guay, F., & Boiché, J. (2009). Verbal, mathematics, and physical education self-concepts and achievements: An extension and test of the Internal/External Frame of Reference Model. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10, 61–66.
Chiu, M.-S. (2012). The internal/external frame of reference model, big-fish-little-pond effect, and combined model for mathematics and science. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104, 87–107. doi:10.1037/a0025734
Dickhäuser, O., Reuter, M., & Hilling, C. (2005). Coursework selection: A frame of reference approach using structural equation modelling. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 673–688. doi:10.1348/000709905X37181
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117–140.
doi:10.1177/001872675400700202
Goetz, T., Frenzel, C. A., Hall, N. C., & Pekrun, R. (2008). Antecedents of academic emotions: Testing the internal/external frame of reference model for academic enjoyment. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33, 9–33. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.12.002
Helm, F., Müller-Kalthoff, H., & Nagy, N., & Möller, J. (under review). Dimensional Comparison Effects on Academic Self-concepts: Similarity of School Subjects. University of Kiel, Germany.
Jansen, M., Schroeders, U., Lüdtke, O., & Marsh, H. W. (online first, 2015). Contrast and Assimilation Effects of Dimensional Comparisons in Five Subjects: An Extension of the I/E Model. Journal Of Educational Psychology. doi:10.1037/edu0000021
Marsh, H. W. (1986). Verbal and math self-concepts: An internal/external frame of reference model. American Educational Research Journal, 23, 129–149.
Marsh, H. W., Abduljabbar, A. S., Parker, P. D., Morin, A. S., Abdelfattah, F., Nagengast, B., Möller, J., & Abu-Hilal, M. M. (2015). The internal/external frame of reference model of self-concept and achievement relations: Age-cohort and cross-cultural differences. American Educational Research Journal, 52(1), 168-202. doi:10.3102/0002831214549453
Marsh, H. W., Byrne, B. M., & Shavelson, R. J. (1988). A multifaceted academic self-concept: Its hierarchical structure and its relation to academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 366–380. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.80.3.366
Marsh, H. W., Lüdtke, O., Nagengast, B., Trautwein, U., Abduljabbar, A. S., Abdelfattah, F., & Jansen, M. (2015). Dimensional comparison theory: Paradoxical relations between self-beliefs and achievements in multiple domains. Learning And Instruction, 35, 16-32. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.08.005
Miller, J. W. (2000). Exploring the source of self-regulated learning: The influence of internal and external comparisons. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 26, 47–52.
Möller, J., Helm, F., Müller-Kalthoff, H., Nagy, N., & Marsh, H. W. (in press). Dimensional comparisons: Theoretical assumptions and empirical results. In: J. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Ed. Elsevier: Oxford, GB.
Möller, J., & Husemann, N. (2006). Internal comparisons in everyday life. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 342–353. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.98.2.342
Möller, J., & Köller, O. (2001a). Dimensional comparisons: An experimental approach to the Internal/External frame of reference model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 826–835. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.93.4.826
Möller, J., & Köller, O. (2001b). Frame of reference effects following the announcement of exam results. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 26, 277-287.
Möller, J. & Marsh, H. W. (2013). Dimensional comparison theory. Psychological Review, 120, 544-560. doi: 10.1037/a0032459
Möller, J., Pohlmann, B., Köller, O., & Marsh, H. W. (2009). A meta-analytic path analysis of the Internal/External frame of reference model of academic achievement and academic self-concept. Review of Educational Research, 79, 1129–1167. doi:10.3102/0034654309337522
Möller, J., & Savyon, K. (2003). Not very smart thus moral: Dimensional comparisons between academic self-concept and honesty. Social Psychology of Education, 6, 95–106.
doi:10.1023/A:1023247910033
Möller, J., Streblow, L., & Pohlmann, B. (2006). The belief in a negative interdependence of math and verbal abilities as determinant of academic self-concepts. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 57–70. doi:10.1348/000709905X37451
Möller, J., Streblow, L., Pohlmann, B., & Köller, O. (2006). An extension to the internal/external frame of reference model to two verbal and numerical domains. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 21, 467–487. doi:10.1007/BF03173515
Murphy, P. K., & Alexander, P. A. (2000). A motivated exploration of motivation terminology. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 3-53. doi:10.1006/ceps.1999.1019
Mussweiler, T. (2003). Comparison processes in social judgment: Mechanisms and consequences. Psychological Review, 110, 472–489. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.110.3.472
Nagy, G., Trautwein, U., Baumert, J., Köller, O., & Garrett, J. (2006). Gender and course selection in upper secondary education: Effects of academic self-concept and intrinsic value. Educational Research and Evaluation, 12, 323–345. doi:10.1080/13803610600765687
Pohlmann, B., & Möller, J. (2009). On the benefits of dimensional comparisons. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 248–258. doi:10.1037/a0013151
Popper, K. R. (1959). The logic of scientific discovery. New York, NY: Harper. (Original work published as Logik der Forschung, 1935)
Schurtz, I. M., Pfost, M., Nagengast, B., & Artelt, C. (2014). Impact of social and dimensional comparisons on student's mathematical and English subject-interest at the beginning of secondary school. Learning and Instruction, 34, 32-41. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.08.001
Jason E. Strickhouser, J. E. & Zell, E. (2015, online first). Self-evaluative effects of dimensional and social comparison, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2015.03.001
Tietjens, M., Möller, J., & Pohlmann, B. (2005). Leistung und Selbstkonzept in verschiedenen Sportarten [Achievement and self-concept in various sports]. Zeitschrift für Sportpsychologie, 12, 135–143. doi:10.1026/1612-5010.12.4.135
Van Lange, P. M. (2013). What we should expect from theories in social psychology: Truth, abstraction, progress, and applicability as standards (TAPAS). Personality And Social Psychology Review, 17(1), 40-55. doi:10.1177/1088868312453088
Abele, A. E., & Wojciszke, B. (2014). Communal and agentic content. A dual perspective model. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 50, 198–255.
Arens, K. & Möller, J. (under review). Dimensional Comparisons: Effects on perceived learning environments. DIPF, Germany.
Albert, S. (1977). Temporal comparison theory. Psychological Review, 84, 485–503.
doi:10.1037/0033-295X.84.6.485
Biernat, M., & Eidelman, S. (2007). Standards. In A. W. Kruglanski and E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Social psychology: Handbook of basic principles, Volume 2 (pp. 308–333). New York: The Guilford Press.
Bong, M. (2013). Self-efficacy. In J. Hattie, E. M. Anderman (Eds.), International guide to student achievement (pp. 64-66). New York, NY, US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Chanal, J. P., Sarrazin, P. G., Guay, F., & Boiché, J. (2009). Verbal, mathematics, and physical education self-concepts and achievements: An extension and test of the Internal/External Frame of Reference Model. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10, 61–66.
Chiu, M.-S. (2012). The internal/external frame of reference model, big-fish-little-pond effect, and combined model for mathematics and science. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104, 87–107. doi:10.1037/a0025734
Dickhäuser, O., Reuter, M., & Hilling, C. (2005). Coursework selection: A frame of reference approach using structural equation modelling. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 673–688. doi:10.1348/000709905X37181
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117–140.
doi:10.1177/001872675400700202
Goetz, T., Frenzel, C. A., Hall, N. C., & Pekrun, R. (2008). Antecedents of academic emotions: Testing the internal/external frame of reference model for academic enjoyment. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33, 9–33. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.12.002
Helm, F., Müller-Kalthoff, H., & Nagy, N., & Möller, J. (under review). Dimensional Comparison Effects on Academic Self-concepts: Similarity of School Subjects. University of Kiel, Germany.
Jansen, M., Schroeders, U., Lüdtke, O., & Marsh, H. W. (online first, 2015). Contrast and Assimilation Effects of Dimensional Comparisons in Five Subjects: An Extension of the I/E Model. Journal Of Educational Psychology. doi:10.1037/edu0000021
Marsh, H. W. (1986). Verbal and math self-concepts: An internal/external frame of reference model. American Educational Research Journal, 23, 129–149.
Marsh, H. W., Abduljabbar, A. S., Parker, P. D., Morin, A. S., Abdelfattah, F., Nagengast, B., Möller, J., & Abu-Hilal, M. M. (2015). The internal/external frame of reference model of self-concept and achievement relations: Age-cohort and cross-cultural differences. American Educational Research Journal, 52(1), 168-202. doi:10.3102/0002831214549453
Marsh, H. W., Byrne, B. M., & Shavelson, R. J. (1988). A multifaceted academic self-concept: Its hierarchical structure and its relation to academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 366–380. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.80.3.366
Marsh, H. W., Lüdtke, O., Nagengast, B., Trautwein, U., Abduljabbar, A. S., Abdelfattah, F., & Jansen, M. (2015). Dimensional comparison theory: Paradoxical relations between self-beliefs and achievements in multiple domains. Learning And Instruction, 35, 16-32. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.08.005
Miller, J. W. (2000). Exploring the source of self-regulated learning: The influence of internal and external comparisons. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 26, 47–52.
Möller, J., Helm, F., Müller-Kalthoff, H., Nagy, N., & Marsh, H. W. (in press). Dimensional comparisons: Theoretical assumptions and empirical results. In: J. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Ed. Elsevier: Oxford, GB.
Möller, J., & Husemann, N. (2006). Internal comparisons in everyday life. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 342–353. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.98.2.342
Möller, J., & Köller, O. (2001a). Dimensional comparisons: An experimental approach to the Internal/External frame of reference model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 826–835. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.93.4.826
Möller, J., & Köller, O. (2001b). Frame of reference effects following the announcement of exam results. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 26, 277-287.
Möller, J. & Marsh, H. W. (2013). Dimensional comparison theory. Psychological Review, 120, 544-560. doi: 10.1037/a0032459
Möller, J., Pohlmann, B., Köller, O., & Marsh, H. W. (2009). A meta-analytic path analysis of the Internal/External frame of reference model of academic achievement and academic self-concept. Review of Educational Research, 79, 1129–1167. doi:10.3102/0034654309337522
Möller, J., & Savyon, K. (2003). Not very smart thus moral: Dimensional comparisons between academic self-concept and honesty. Social Psychology of Education, 6, 95–106.
doi:10.1023/A:1023247910033
Möller, J., Streblow, L., & Pohlmann, B. (2006). The belief in a negative interdependence of math and verbal abilities as determinant of academic self-concepts. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 57–70. doi:10.1348/000709905X37451
Möller, J., Streblow, L., Pohlmann, B., & Köller, O. (2006). An extension to the internal/external frame of reference model to two verbal and numerical domains. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 21, 467–487. doi:10.1007/BF03173515
Murphy, P. K., & Alexander, P. A. (2000). A motivated exploration of motivation terminology. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 3-53. doi:10.1006/ceps.1999.1019
Mussweiler, T. (2003). Comparison processes in social judgment: Mechanisms and consequences. Psychological Review, 110, 472–489. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.110.3.472
Nagy, G., Trautwein, U., Baumert, J., Köller, O., & Garrett, J. (2006). Gender and course selection in upper secondary education: Effects of academic self-concept and intrinsic value. Educational Research and Evaluation, 12, 323–345. doi:10.1080/13803610600765687
Pohlmann, B., & Möller, J. (2009). On the benefits of dimensional comparisons. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 248–258. doi:10.1037/a0013151
Popper, K. R. (1959). The logic of scientific discovery. New York, NY: Harper. (Original work published as Logik der Forschung, 1935)
Schurtz, I. M., Pfost, M., Nagengast, B., & Artelt, C. (2014). Impact of social and dimensional comparisons on student's mathematical and English subject-interest at the beginning of secondary school. Learning and Instruction, 34, 32-41. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.08.001
Jason E. Strickhouser, J. E. & Zell, E. (2015, online first). Self-evaluative effects of dimensional and social comparison, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2015.03.001
Tietjens, M., Möller, J., & Pohlmann, B. (2005). Leistung und Selbstkonzept in verschiedenen Sportarten [Achievement and self-concept in various sports]. Zeitschrift für Sportpsychologie, 12, 135–143. doi:10.1026/1612-5010.12.4.135
Van Lange, P. M. (2013). What we should expect from theories in social psychology: Truth, abstraction, progress, and applicability as standards (TAPAS). Personality And Social Psychology Review, 17(1), 40-55. doi:10.1177/1088868312453088