Age and Gender Differences in Children's Self- and Task Perceptions during Elementary School

• Published in: Child development Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 830 - 847
• Main Authors: Eccles, Jacquelynne, Wigfield, Allan, Harold, Rena D., Blumenfeld, Phyllis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, MA University of Chicago Press 01-06-1993; Blackwell; University of Chicago Press for the Society for Research in Child Development, etc; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Achievement; Age Differences; Age Factors; Athletics; Attitude; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Childhood Attitudes; Children; Competence; Developmental psychology; Elementary Education; Elementary School Students; Elementary schools; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender differences; Grade levels; Humans; Instrumental music; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mathematical Ability; Mathematics; Music; Music Ability; Musical perception; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reading Ability; Self Concept; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Self image; Self perception; Selfbeliefs; Sex Differences; Sex Factors; Social research; Socialization; Sports; Surveys and Questionnaires; Task Value; Young children; Youth sports; Human; Ability; Belief; School age; Sex; Development; Self perception; Child; Subjective evaluation
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.2307/1131221

We examined the development of children's self- and task perceptions during the elementary school years. 865 first-, second,- and fourth-grade children (ages 7-10) completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of competence in, and valuing of, activities in several activity domains (math, reading, sports, and instrumental music). Factor analyses showed that even the first graders had differentiated self-beliefs for the various activities. These analyses also indicated that children's competence beliefs and subjective task values formed distinct factors. Analyses assessing age and gender differences in children's beliefs showed that for all the activities except sports, younger children's (particularly the first graders) perceptions of competence and subjective task values were more positive than the beliefs of the older children. Boys had more positive competence beliefs and values than did girls for sport activities, and more positive competence beliefs for mathematics. Girls had more positive competence beliefs and values than did boys for reading and music activities.