Children's Perceived Competence Scale: Reference values in Japan.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Establishing reference values for self-perception and self-esteem is crucial for supporting children with chronic diseases.
• The Children's Perceived Competence Scale (CPCS) is a valuable tool for assessing self-perceived competence and self-esteem in children.
• Previous research has not established specific reference values for Japanese children's self-perception and self-esteem.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop reference values for measuring self-perceived competence and self-esteem in Japanese children.
• To provide a benchmark for assessing developmental changes in self-perception and self-esteem.
• To inform practitioners supporting children with chronic diseases or psychological challenges.

Main Methods:

• Administered the Children's Perceived Competence Scale (CPCS) to 768 Japanese elementary school students (grades 1-6).
• Excluded participants with chronic diseases or incomplete responses, resulting in a final sample of 694 children.
• Analyzed CPCS scores across different grade levels, domains (cognitive, social, physical), and gender.

Main Results:

• A tendency for cognitive and general self-worth scores to decrease with increasing grade level was observed.
• Grade 5 students scored significantly lower in social and physical domains compared to grade 4 students.
• Significant gender differences were found, with boys scoring higher in the physical domain (grades 3 & 6) and general self-worth (grade 6).

Conclusions:

• Developed CPCS reference values for self-perceived competence and self-esteem in Japanese children.
• These reference values are essential for monitoring developmental trajectories and identifying potential psychological issues.
• The findings support the use of these reference values in clinical practice for children with chronic diseases and psychological problems.