When do children show evidence of self-esteem? Earlier than you might think
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When do children show evidence of self-esteem? Earlier than you might think
Dario Cvencek, University of Washington; Andrew N. Meltzoff, University of Washington, and Anthony G. Greenwald, University of Washington
A YouTube clip called “Jessica’s Daily Affirmation” recently went viral. The clip shows a four-year-old Jessica standing in front of the bathroom mirror saying what makes her happy about herself.
Many youngsters, like Jessica, seem to exude positive feelings about their abilities – they happily report that they are good at running, jumping, drawing, math or music.
However, the belief in being good at certain concrete skills could be different from a more general sense of self-worth or what scientists call “positive self-esteem.” For example, at early ages, children can report “I’m good at running” or “I’m good with letters.” But preschoolers might not be able to answer questions about their overall sense of self-worth.
So, when do kids develop...
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