I am really good at puzzles, but I don't get asked to play with others: age, gender, and ethnic differences in Head Start children's self-perceptions of competence

Abstract

The author examined age, gender, and ethnic differences in the self-perceptions of 112 low-income children who were assessed with the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance (PSPCSA) at Head Start and kindergarten. Children's self-ratings of competence were overly optimistic across the 4 subscales of the PSPCSA during the 2 years of the investigation. Contrary to the author's expectations, children's self-evaluations were significantly higher at the end of kindergarten across all subscales of the PSPCSA. Ethnic group differences also were found. African American children described their cognitive competence less favorably than did Caucasian children.