Structure, stability, and development of young children's self-concepts: a multicohort-multioccasion study

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• The Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ) is a key tool for assessing self-concept.
• Previous research has primarily focused on older children and adolescents.
• Understanding self-concept development in early childhood is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reliability, stability, factor structure, and distinctiveness of self-concept dimensions in young children (5-8 years).
• To investigate age-related changes and gender differences in self-concept using a multicohort-multioccasion design.
• To explore the relationship between teacher ratings and student self-perceptions over time.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multicohort-multioccasion (MCMO) study design.
• Administered an individual assessment procedure for self-concept to children aged 5-8.
• Conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons across multiple time points.

Main Results:

• Reliability, stability, factor structure, and distinctiveness of self-concept factors generally improved with age and longitudinally.
• Small gender differences in self-concept were found to be relatively stable across age.
• Teacher ratings at Time 1 predicted self-concept at Time 2, suggesting increasing realism in self-perceptions with age.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the multidimensionality of self-concept in very young children.
• The study validates and expands the application of the SDQ procedure for early childhood self-concept assessment.
• Self-perceptions in children become more accurate and stable as they mature.