Reciprocal effects are robust to time-invariant confounders, but the French lagged self-concept effect did not survive the lag2 carryover stress test¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? After adjusting for background covariates, self-concept still predicted later skill development in mathematics (β2 = [.120, .177], p < .001) and skills still predicted immediate changes in self-concept (β3′ = [.154, .218], p < .001). → Núñez-Regueiro 2026 q3 i? In French, the lagged effect of self-concept on skills disappeared when including the second-order path (β2 = [.028, .033], p = .435), though the added lag2 path was itself nonsignificant (p = .587). → Núñez-Regueiro 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Núñez-Regueiro 2026¶

Núñez-Regueiro, F., Marsh, H. W., Bressoux, P., Batruch, A., Bouet, M., Bressan, M., Brown, G., Butera, F., Cherbonnier, A., Darnon, C., Demolliens, M., de Place, A.-L., Desrichard, O., Goron, L., Hémon, B., Huguet, P., Jamet, E., Mazenod, V., Mella, N., Michinov, E., Michinov, N., Ofosu, N., Peter, L., Poletti, C., Régner, I., Riant, M., Robert, A., Rudmann, O., Sanrey, C., Stanczak, A., Toumani, F., Visintin, E. P., Pansu, P. (2026). I Feel Competent, Therefore I Am: Self-concept and Skill Interact at Different Speeds. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10131-w

q3 · i? · associational · r3

RI-CCLPM re-estimation with trait factors predicted by stable background characteristics (age, gender, parental SES, parental education, siblings, grade retention, prior achievement). The mathematics solution "remained robust" with both cross-effects significant.

"In mathematics, self-concept still predicted later skill development (β2 =[ .120,. 177], p<. 001), and skills predicted immediate changes in self-concept (β3′ =[ .154,. 218], p<. 001)."

Núñez-Regueiro 2026 (2)¶

Núñez-Regueiro, F., Marsh, H. W., Bressoux, P., Batruch, A., Bouet, M., Bressan, M., Brown, G., Butera, F., Cherbonnier, A., Darnon, C., Demolliens, M., de Place, A.-L., Desrichard, O., Goron, L., Hémon, B., Huguet, P., Jamet, E., Mazenod, V., Mella, N., Michinov, E., Michinov, N., Ofosu, N., Peter, L., Poletti, C., Régner, I., Riant, M., Robert, A., Rudmann, O., Sanrey, C., Stanczak, A., Toumani, F., Visintin, E. P., Pansu, P. (2026). I Feel Competent, Therefore I Am: Self-concept and Skill Interact at Different Speeds. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10131-w

q3 · i? · associational · r3

Lag2 robustness check extending the French RI-CCLPM with second-order paths capturing delayed carryover effects spanning two semesters. The lagged self-concept effect "disappeared when including the second-order path", though the lag2 path itself was nonsignificant, so the authors do not treat it as a genuine carryover effect.

"In French, the lagged effect of self-concept on skills disappeared when including the second-order path (β2 =[ .028,. 033], p = .435), but the added CL2 path was also nonsignificant (p = .587)—even when estimated in isolation—suggesting it does not constitute a genuine carryover effect."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Academic Self-Concept — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• The reciprocal effects are robust to alternative models attributing them to latent confounding or residual error (RI-LTVC, STARTS) — related
• Random-intercept and lag2 panel models rest on different assumptions and offer alternative perspectives on controlling covariates — related
• Adding lag-2 paths to CLPMs substantially improves fit and provides stronger controls for preexisting differences, positioning extended CLPMs as viable alternatives to RI-CLPMs — related
• Across basic and extended RI-CLPMs and CLPMs of five-wave secondary-school data, math self-concept and achievement show consistent reciprocal (bidirectional) directional ordering — related
• The extended REM was robust to several alternative modeling specifications proposed by Sorjonen et al. — related
• Reanalyses of simulated and PALMA data provide converging support for the extended reciprocal effects model, including an effect of academic self-concept on achievement — related
• The RI-CCLPM-C indicates a positive self-concept effect on achievement even when data are generated without any direct effects between self-concept and achievement — related
• Academic self-concept predicts lagged (across-semester) changes in academic skills in both mathematics and French — related
• Academic skills predict contemporaneous (within-semester) changes in academic self-concept in both mathematics and French — related
• The temporal asymmetry in effect sizes: contemporaneous skill effects on self-concept are moderate (d = 0.33 in French) while alternative cross-effects are null or negligible — related