Sociale competentie in de middenkindertijd: de ontwikkeling van ‘uitgebreide identiteit’

Abstract

The development of an ‘extended identity’ refers to the development of children’s understanding that others’ judgments on the self can be based on the actions of another person with whom one is associated with. The study expands earlier research by including group responsibility for the actions of the associated person. It was examined whether seven or eight years old children make more references of reflecting extended identity than six year old children. In the study participated 115 children (mean age: 89,7 months), 56 boys and 59 girls, 31 six-year-olds and 81 seven- and eight-year-olds. The children were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which they had to imagine a classmate who committed a rule violation in a highly public context. In the scenario, the accountability for the other was explicitly demanded. The children were asked to make a variety of judgments, most notably concerning their likely emotion and its causes, what others would think of them and their class, and if they would take responsibility and remedial action. The seven and eight year olds made significant more attributions to social emotions such as embarrassment. Seven and eight year olds also made significant more attributions to a negative reaction of the audience and showed more responsibility and remedial action. Small gender differences were found: girls make more attributions to a social emotion when using emoticons. No differences were found between ethnic groups.