Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 Sense

Child Development and Education, Fourth EditionTeresa 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



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



3

Factors Influencing Sense of Self

Past behaviors and achievements Others’ perceptions

Parents Siblings Peers

Own perceptions about achievements and comparisons to others



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



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



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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



7


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



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9


Late adolescence develop a more complex understanding

of self, with contradictory descriptions identity develops over time

identity diffusion foreclosure moratorium identity achievement



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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

Documents

Child Development and Education, Fourth Edition Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 Sense