Related Experiment Videos
How do preschool children feel about themselves? Unraveling measurement and multidimensional self-concept structure
Herbert W Marsh1, Louise A Ellis, Rhonda G Craven
1SELF Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia. h.marsh@uws.edu.au
Insights
Preschoolers can distinguish multiple self-concept dimensions, challenging prior research. The Self Description Questionnaire for Preschoolers (SDQP) validated this in 4- and 5-year-olds.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Theoretical models propose preschoolers can differentiate self-concept dimensions.
- Empirical evidence supporting this developmental milestone is limited.
- Previous self-concept research suggested differentiation at older ages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reliable measure of self-concept in preschoolers.
- To empirically test if 4- and 5-year-olds can differentiate multiple self-concept dimensions.
- To examine the relationship between self-concept and academic achievement in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Developed the 38-item Self Description Questionnaire for Preschoolers (SDQP) assessing 6 factors.
- Administered the SDQP and achievement tests via individual interviews to children aged 4.0-5.6 years.
- Utilized confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the SDQP's structure and reliability.
Main Results:
- SDQP scales demonstrated good reliability (0.75–0.89).
- Confirmatory factor analysis supported first-order and higher-order models of self-concept.
- Academic self-concept correlated positively with achievement, while nonacademic self-concepts showed nonsignificant or negative correlations.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers can reliably differentiate multiple dimensions of self-concept.
- The SDQP is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing preschool self-concept.
- Findings suggest self-report is a viable method for studying self-concept in young children, earlier than previously thought.
Abstract:
Theoretical models suggest that 4- and 5-year-old children should be able to differentiate between multiple dimensions of self-concept, but empirical support is limited. A new 38-item Self Description Questionnaire for Preschoolers (SDQP) that measures 6 self-concept factors (Physical, Appearance, Peers, Parents, Verbal, and Math) was developed and tested. Through an individual-interview procedure, young children (4.0-5.6 years) completed the SDQP and achievement tests. The self-concept scales were reliable (.75-.89), first-order and higher order confirmatory factor analysis models fit the data, and factor correlations were mostly moderate (-.03-.73; Mdn = .29). Achievement test scores correlated modestly with academic self-concept factors (rs = .15-40) but were nonsignificantly or significantly negatively related to nonacademic self-concepts. The results contribute to the critical debate about the validity of self-reports for preschool children, who distinguished between multiple dimensions of self-concept at an even younger age than suggested by previous self-concept research.