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Spectacles, contact lenses, and children's self-concepts: a longitudinal study
R L Terry1, P S Soni, D G Horner
1Department of Psychology, Hanover College, Indiana 47243, USA. terry@hanover.edu
Summary
Switching from spectacles to contact lenses did not significantly alter children's self-concept over three years. However, boys experienced greater self-concept changes than girls.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Spectacle wear is common in children, potentially impacting self-perception.
- The transition to alternative vision correction methods like contact lenses may influence psychosocial development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in self-concept among children transitioning from spectacles to contact lenses.
- To compare self-concept development between children who switched to contact lenses and those who continued wearing spectacles.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 125 children aged 10-13 years over three years.
- Sixty-nine children were randomly assigned to wear contact lenses, while the remainder continued with spectacles.
- Self-concept measures were periodically assessed for both groups.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the rate of self-concept change was observed between the contact lens and spectacle groups.
- The rate of self-concept change was not influenced by myopia severity or duration of prior spectacle wear.
- Boys demonstrated a greater change in self-concept compared to girls.
Conclusions:
- Contact lens wear does not appear to negatively impact children's self-concept compared to spectacles.
- Gender differences in self-concept changes warrant further investigation in pediatric vision correction studies.