The Nomological Net of Knowledge, Self-Reported Knowledge, and Overclaiming in Children

Abstract

Research on self-reported knowledge and overclaiming in children is sparse. With the current study, we aim to close this gap by developing an overclaiming questionnaire measuring self-reported knowledge and overclaiming that is tailored to children. Moreover, we examine the nomological net of self-reported knowledge and overclaiming in childhood discussing three perspectives: Overclaiming as (a) a result of deliberate self-enhancement tendencies, (b) a proxy for declarative knowledge, and (c) an indicator of creative engagement. We juxtaposed overclaiming, as indicated by claiming familiarity with non-existent terms, and self-reported knowledge with fluid and crystallized intelligence, creativity, and personality traits in a sample of 897 children attending third grade. The results of several latent variable analyses were similar to findings known from adult samples: We found no strong evidence for any of the competing perspectives on overclaiming. Just like in adults, individual differences in self-reported knowledge were strongly inflated by overclaiming, and only weakly related to declarative knowledge.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Funding

The work reported herein was supported by grants from the Hector Foundation II.

Open Scholarship

This article has earned the Center for Open Science badges for Open Data through Open Practices Disclosure. The data are openly accessible at https://osf.io/94bk8/.

Data accessibility statement

The study materials, data, and analysis scripts used for this article can be accessed at https://osf.io/94bk8/

Additional information

Funding

The work reported herein was supported by grants from the Hector Foundation II.