Social group membership and self-perceptions in Northern Irish children: Alongitudinal study

Little is known about the changes in self-perceptions over the course of mi ddle childhood, despite this being a crucial period for the development: of the self. This study examined stability and change in children's self-comp etence and self-esteem in a two-wave longitudinal study of primary school c hildren. The influence of psychosocial factors, gender, religion/ethnicity and socio-economic status (SES), on the development of self-perceptions was also examined. A sample of 110 children completed the Harter Self Percepti on profile for Children at age 8 and age 11. Analysis of these data indicat ed considerable stability in children's perceptions of themselves. Ar age i i, a greater variety of domain-specific self-perceptions was predictive of global self-esteem, suggesting a more complex view of the self. Additionall y, between-group differences suggested that girls' global and athletic comp etence, as well as their confidence in their physical appearance, decreased over time. Further, children from lower socio-economic backgrounds and tho se from the minority community in Northern Ireland (Roman Catholics) displa yed less positive self-perceptions in a number of life domains at both age 11 and age 8. Discussion of these results highlights the influence of socie tal factors on children's social development and the need to consider the c ombined effects of psychosocial identities and socio-economic background on the development of the self.