Spectacles, contact lenses, and children's self-concepts: a longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to search for changes in children's self-concepts after the replacement of their spectacles with contact lenses. From a sample of 125 children 10- to 13-years-old who wore spectacles, 69 children were randomly designated to receive contact lenses. Over a 3-year span, self-concepts of the children who retained their spectacles and the children who switched to contact lenses were monitored for changes. Self-concept measures of the two groups did not change at significantly different rates, nor did rate of change vary with severity of myopia or how long glasses had been worn before the children entered the study, but boys' self-concepts changed more than girls' self-concepts. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.