1. Inaccuracy of perceived competence ratings is associated with problem behaviors in 5-year-old children
- Author
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Jacqueline M. Klaver, Amanda D. Palo, and Lisabeth F. DiLalla
- Subjects
Male ,Parent reports ,Cognition ,Child Behavior Disorders ,Social acceptance ,Peer acceptance ,Mother-Child Relations ,Peer Group ,Self Concept ,Developmental psychology ,Clinical Psychology ,Psychological Distance ,Social Perception ,Child, Preschool ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,Humans ,Female ,Cognitive competence ,Life-span and Life-course Studies ,Psychology ,Competence (human resources) ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
The authors examined problem behaviors in preschool children as a function of perceived competence. Prior research has demonstrated a link between inaccuracy of self-perceptions and teacher-reported externalizing behaviors in preschool aged boys. This study extended past research by adding data collected from observed behaviors in a laboratory setting, as well as parent reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Five-year-old children completed the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PSPCSA) in the lab, participated in a 10-min puzzle interaction task with their cotwin and mother, and completed a short task assessing cognitive abilities. Children were grouped into 3 self-esteem categories (unrealistically low, realistic, and unrealistically high) based on comparisons of self-reported (PSPCSA) versus actual competencies for maternal acceptance, peer acceptance, and cognitive competence. Results showed that children who overreported their maternal acceptance and peer acceptance had significantly more parent-reported externalizing problems as well as internalizing problems. There were no significant differences in accuracy for cognitive competence. The findings from this study underscore the negative impact of unrealistically high self-appraisal on problem behaviors in young children.
- Published
- 2014