Family Economic Deprivation and Self-esteem among Preschoolers

Previous studies have established a negative correlation between economic deprivation and self-esteem; however, limited insights exist regarding the onset of children linking self-esteem to economic status. To investigate this, we examined 198 preschoolers (96 girls, 102 boys) and their parents (170 mothers, 28 fathers). Children self-reported implicit and explicit self-esteem, while parents reported personal relative deprivation and economic objective deprivation of the family. Additionally, we explored children’s money knowledge as a moderator. Our findings reveal that preschoolers may connect their implicit self-esteem with family economic status; however, such connections require basic knowledge about money. We discuss potential explanations for the influence of family economic deprivation, specifically on the implicit, not explicit, self-esteem of preschoolers.