The Big-fish–little-pond-effect Stands Up to Critical Scrutiny: Implications for Theory, Methodology, and Future Research

By Herbert W. Marsh, Marjorie Seaton, Ulrich Trautwein, O. Lüdtke, K. Hau, A. O’Mara, R. Craven. 2008

398 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The big-fish–little-pond effect (BFLPE) predicts that equally able students have lower academic self-concepts (ASCs) when attending schools where the average ability levels of classmates is high, and higher ASCs when attending schools where the school-average ability is low. BFLPE findings are remarkably robust, generalizing over a wide variety of different individual student and contextual level characteristics, settings, countries, long-term follow-ups, and research designs. Because of the importance of ASC in predicting future achievement, coursework selection, and educational attainment, the results have important implications for the way in which schools are organized (e.g., tracking, ability grouping, academically selective schools, and gifted education programs). In response to Dai and Rinn (Educ. Psychol. Rev., 2008), we summarize the theoretical model underlying the BFLPE, minimal conditions for testing the BFLPE, support for its robust generalizability, its relation to social comparison theory, and recent research extending previous implications, demonstrating that the BFLPE stands up to scrutiny.

Subfields: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/bc2e44a97082f9779b1a8e3c7e10a565f8a1c5f5

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Citations in the corpus

The Internal/External Frame of Reference Model of Self-Concept and Achievement Relations (2015, result): “Nevertheless, for both studies of social and dimensional comparison, there is consistent support for contrast effects, whereas assimilation effects—a priori or post hoc—have been elusive (e.g., Marsh et al., 2008; Möller et al., 2009).”
Classroom Climate and Contextual Effects: Conceptual and Methodological Issues in the Evaluation of Group-Level Effects (2012, background): “…validity interpretations, we briefly summarize some of the main findings in support for the interpretation of the negative effect of class- or schoolaverage ability on academic self-concept (results summarized here are presented in more detail in review by Marsh, 2007b; Marsh et al., 2008).”
Tracking Effects Depend on Tracking Type (2013, background): “…pond effect, has been the subject of educational, sociological, and psychological research for more than 40 years (Bassis, 1977; Davis, 1966; Espenshade, Hale, & Chung, 2005; Goldsmith, 2011; Marsh, 1987; Marsh et al., 1995, 2007, 2008; Preckel & Brüll, 2010; Thijs, Verkuyten, & Helmond, 2010).”
Impact of social and dimensional comparisons on student's mathematical and English subject-interest at the beginning of secondary school (2014, background): “The impact of social comparisons with students' scholastic reference group on their self-conceptwasmainly researchedwithin the big-fish-little-pond-effectmodel (BFLPE; Marsh et al., 2008).”
Big-fish-little-pond social comparison and local dominance effects: Integrating new statistical models, methodology, design, theory and substantive implications (2014, methodology): “Focusing on ASC in educational contexts, Marsh (1984; see also Marsh & Parker, 1984; Marsh et al., 2008) proposed the BFLPE to encapsulate frame of reference effects that are based on an integration of theoretical models and empirical research from diverse disciplines.”
The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect in Mathematics (2014, background): “BFLPE theory (e.g., Marsh, 1984, 1991; Marsh et al., 2008) posits that the effect is based upon a social comparison process (for a detailed account of the theoretical background of the BFLPE, see Marsh et al., 2008).”
Clinical and Mental Health Issues in Counseling the Gifted Individual (2015, background): “This Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect (BFLPE; see Marsh et al., 2008 for a review) results when individuals enter a setting populated by peers with similar or higher academic ability.”