An investigation of the impact of young children's self-knowledge of trustworthiness on school adjustment: a test of the realistic self-knowledge and positive illusion models.
The study aimed to examine the relationship between self-knowledge of trustworthiness and young children's school adjustment. One hundred and seventy-three (84 male and 89 female) children from school years 1 and 2 in the United Kingdom (mean age 6 years 2 months) were tested twice over 1-year. Children's trustworthiness was assessed using: (a) self-report at Time 1 and Time 2; (b) peers reports at Time 1 and Time 2; and (c) teacher-reports at Time 2. School adjustment was assessed by child-rated school-liking and the Short-Form Teacher Rating Scale of School Adjustment (Short-Form TRSSA). Longitudinal quadratic relationships were found between school adjustment and children's self-knowledge, using peer-reported trustworthiness as a reference: more accurate self-knowledge of trustworthiness predicted increases in school adjustment. Comparable concurrent quadratic relationships were found between teacher-rated school adjustment and children's self-knowledge, using teacher-reported trustworthiness as a reference, at Time 2. The findings support the conclusion that young children's psychosocial adjustment is best accounted for by the realistic self-knowledge model (Colvin & Block, 1994).
Betts
Lucy R
LR
Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4BU, UK. lucy.betts@ntu.ac.uk
Rotenberg
Ken J
KJ
Trueman
Mark
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust