Young Children’s Self-Perceived Ability: Development, Factor Structure and Initial Validation of a Self-Report Instrument for Preschoolers

Abstract

We developed and evaluated a self-report instrument for preschoolers assessing self-perceived ability, task difficulty, and motivation. 231 3-to 5-year-old children (M= 3.84 years, SD=.49, 112 girls, 119 boys), participated in the interview, and reported also on their self-concept. Parents and teachers reported on children's symptoms. In a first step we used a person-and a variable-oriented approach to assess associations between self-perceived ability, estimated task difficulty and motivation. In a second step, we aimed to generate evidence for our construct of self-perceived ability based on relationships between the test scores and other measures that are theoretically assumed to be related to selfperceived ability. Results confirm the theory-based relation between self-perceived ability, task difficulty, and motivation, and indicate construct validity. Self-perceived ability proved to mediate the association between task difficulty and motivation and was associated with children's task mastery and self-concept. However, children's self-reports were not associated with adult-reported symptoms. The findings extend the discussion on the validity, reliability, and accuracy of selfreports in preschoolers. Further studies need to address the criterion-related validity of the interpretation of the newly developed instrument.

Designing and validating of a questionnaire measuring perceived self-care ability (PSCA) in chronic stroke patients at home

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“I’m the best! Or am I?”: Academic self-concepts and self-regulation in kindergarten

“…Although kindergarteners' self-concepts are biased towards overconfidence, they are related to academic ability (Cimeli et al, 2013;Marsh et al, 2002). Findings demonstrate that young children are more capable and accurate in gauging their own abilities than previously believed (Whitebread et al, 2007), especially when assessed with a domain-specific measure (Cimeli et al, 2013) or on the same scale with the same reference standards (Müller et al, 2015). Like adults' self-concepts, kindergarteners' self-concepts are composed of several domain-specific facets (Shavelson et al, 1976).…”

Self-efficacy experiences in day care and primary school from the children’s perspective: A starting point for the reflection of didactic and methodological competences of adult educators

“…However, this approach was considered unsuitable for the study on which this paper is based, because, for one, it can be assumed that self-related cognitions such as self-efficacy can hardly be gauged from outside (by others). For another, we can start from the premise based on research into cognitive and linguistic development that preschool and primary school children are quite capable both cognitively and linguistically of self-reporting on their competencies and capabilities (Müller et al, 2015; Piaget and Inhelder, 1973). Moreover, a survey of self-efficacy covering a longer timespan during the transition period seems particularly well-suited for gaining insights into changes in self-efficacy during this stage.…”