1,473
Views
49
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Self-understanding in early childhood: associations with child attachment security and maternal negative affect

, , &
Pages 433-450 | Published online: 17 Nov 2008
 

Abstract

Although studies document that young children perceive themselves in psychologically-relevant ways, much remains to be understood about early self-concept development and how it is influenced by relational experience. This longitudinal study examines stability and change in the self-understanding of preschoolers, and its relation to children's security of attachment and maternal negative affect. Thirty-three children were studied with their mothers at ages 4 and 5; children's self-perceptions, attachment security, and maternal negative affect were assessed at each age. Secure attachment at 4 years old was associated with more positive self-concept at 5 years old (even with security at age 5 controlled), and secure children were more consistent in their self-perceptions over time. Maternal negative affect was associated with children's more negative self-perceptions and less consistent self-perceptions over time. Overall, these findings confirm the significance of early relational influences in how young children perceive themselves as psychological beings, particularly the importance of attachment security.

Acknowledgements

This research was conducted while the authors were at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. We thank the children and mothers who participated in this study, and the many undergraduate research assistants who helped with data collection.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.