Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 Sense of Self Who am I? self-concept - beliefs about self How good am I as a person? self-esteem - child’s judgment of own worthiness self-efficacy - child’s beliefs about what he/she can accomplish

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 Sense of Self Helps children take charge of things that happen to them Motivates behavior Helps them envision future selves Helps them make choices to reach goals Children focus more on what they do well Children behave in ways that mirror self- perception sometimes engage in self-handicapping

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3 Factors Influencing Sense of Self Past behaviors and achievements Others’ perceptions Parents Siblings Peers Own perceptions about achievements and comparisons to others

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 Sense of Self: General Trends Children construct increasingly multifaceted understandings of who they are Feelings of self-worth increasingly depend on peers’ behaviors and opinions Children gradually internalize criteria others use for evaluation Children gradually integrate many self-perceptions into general abstractions of who they are Sense of worth becomes more stable over time

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5 Development of Sense of Self Infancy view self as distinct, lovable being ability to imitate others recognizing self in mirror Early childhood autobiographical self (personal history) language reflects self: I, me, mine self = physical characteristics, simple psychological traits, interests overconfidence, high self-esteem

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 Development of Sense of Self Middle childhood describes self in physical and psychological terms aware of strengths and weaknesses self-esteem generally high compares self with peers structures self-esteem into different competencies academic social physical physical appearance

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7 Development of Sense of Self Early adolescence can reflect on how they are perceived by others imaginary audience belief in personal fable self-esteem drops (especially girls) begin to use abstract values to describe themselves social comparisons continue

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8 Development of Sense of Self

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9 Development of Sense of Self Late adolescence develop a more complex understanding of self, with contradictory descriptions identity develops over time identity diffusion foreclosure moratorium identity achievement

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 10 Development of Sense of Self

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11 Gender Differences Both nature and nurture contribute Boys overestimate, girls underestimate abilities Girls have greater difficulty accepting criticism Girls more critical of physical appearance Boys say they are good at athletics problem-solving math and science Girls say they are good at manners social relationships reading and writing