Development of Self-Concept in Chilean, Mexican, and United States School Children

Summary The development of self-concept (SC), self-esteem (SE), and self-ideal (SI) was examined in second, fourth, sixth, and eighth graders (approximately 50 boys and 50 girls in each grade) from Chile, Mexico, and the United States. SC, SE, and SI were assessed for physical maturity, peer relations, academic success, and school adaptiveness. For physical maturity and peer relations, the differences between national groups were small and each of the self-measures remained relatively stable across grades. Academic success SC and SE became less positive as grade level increased. For Mexican and United States students, the decline was most rapid between grades two and six; for Chilean, it was most pronounced between grades six and eight. Academic success SI for Mexican students was consistently lower than it was for Chilean and United States students. School adaptiveness SC and SE declined across grades, while SI remained relatively stable. Differences between national groups were minor. Overall, these results suggested substantial similarities in development across national groups and a tendency for differences between national groups to decrease as grade level increased.