Self-concept congruence in relation to juvenile delinquency

Within the last decade, particular prominence has been given to the study of problems concerning the self-concept, self-acceptance, self-evaluation, etc. Ten years of research efforts have produced a deluge of empirical studies the majority of which have been reviewed from different angles by different authors (Crowne, and Stephens, 1961; Lowe, 1961; Wittenborn, 1961). At this beginning stage, the relevant research activities have largely focused on the functional relationships between the self-concept variables on the one hand and the psychotherapeutic and counseling effects (i.e., Rogers, and Dymond, 1954; Singer, and Stefflre, 1954; Ewing, 1954; Zuckerman, and Manashkin, 1957), general adjustment level (i.e., Hanlon, Hofstaetter, and O'Connor, 1954; Nahinsky, 1958; Turner, and Vanderlippe, 1958; Fuster, 1963), and social desirability (i.e., Edwards, 1955; Kenny, 1956; Kogan, Quinn, Ax, and Ripley, 1957) on the other hand. However, due to the fact that the self-concept is a central and pervasive factor of human behavior, the correlates of it must not be limited to the aforementioned behavior variables.