Developmental Changes in Achievement Evaluation: Motivational Implications of Self-Other Differences

Abstract

In order to explore the development of self-evaluative biases, children at 3 age levels (5-6, 7-8, 9-10) evaluated themselves or another child when given social or temporal comparison feedback. Evaluative biases were indicated by higher evaluations for the self than another, especially after failure. Children at different ages were not differentially responsive to temporal vs. social comparison information. However, evaluative bias in response to the type of evaluation differed by age; there was greater bias for general ability evaluations by older children and greater bias for specific performance evaluations by younger children. Alternative explanations for these self-other differences were minimized, as differences in visual orientation were held constant and differences in knowledge of effort were controlled statistically. Other aspects of the design as well as sex differences support a motivational interpretation of these biases. How these biases are manifested is related to children's level of understanding and concerns at different ages.

A Comparison of the Response Styles Theory and the Hopelessness Theory of Depression in Preadolescents

“…In a recent review of the relationship between selffocused attention and negative affect, Mor and Winquist (2002) found that the relationship between rumination and depression was stronger for adults than adolescents. Mor and Winquist suggested this result may be obtained because with age adolescents are less likely to inflate their self-evaluations (Ruble, Eisenberg, & Higgins, 1994), and at the same time they also develop more complex self-schemas (Harter, 1999). Supporting such an assertion, our results suggest that with age the interrelationships between response styles and personality variables become increasingly consolidated and predictable.…”

Predicting transition and adjustment to college: biomedical and behavioral science aspirants’ and minority students’ first year of college

“…Some students will feel they have successfully managed the academic environment if they simply passed a course. The more confidence students have in their own ability, the less they will rely on social comparisons, and the more likely they will achieve independent judgments about their competence (Ruble, 1994;Ruble and Flett, 1988). We have, therefore, separated the construct of academic adjustment (students' internal sense of successful management of the academic environment) from student or institutional-based assessments of individual competence in developing the model for this study.…”

Through a Looking Glass or a Hall of Mirrors? Self-ratings and Teacher-ratings of Academic Competence over Development

“…4. Males have been more likely to enhance their concepts of performance than females (Marsh, Parker, & Barnes, 1985;Marsh et al, 1988;Meece & Courtney, 1992;Ruble, Eisenberg, & Higgins, 1994;Skaalvik & Rankin, 1994;Widaman, Macmillan, Hemsley, Little, & Balow, 1992).…”