The distinction between self and not-self in children and adolescents

The direction and extent of age-related differences in self-definition were studied in 120 students from age 6 to 16 years who were asked to identify 42 items as self or not-self. Total number of self-responses increased with age, and girls responded to slightly more items as self than boys. Body parts, identifying personal characteristics, and psychological processes were identified as self more frequently at all ages than significant others, self-related objects, and possessions. The direction of age-related change was toward greater self-extension and appeared to involve a reconceptualization of self and not-self relations.