Children\u2019s Perceived Competence Scale: reevaluation in a population of Japanese elementary and junior high school students

Yukiyo Nagai,Kayo Nomura,Masako Nagata,Tetsuji Kaneko,Osamu Uemura

doi:10.1186/s13034-018-0241-4

Abstract

BackgroundIt is important for children to maintain high self-perceived competence and self-esteem, and there are few measures to evaluate them through elementary to junior high school days in Japan. To evaluate psychometric properties of the Children’s Perceived Competence Scale (CPCS).MethodsData were collected from 697 elementary school and 956 junior high school students. Some of these students completed measures for construct validity, whereas others repeated the CPCS.ResultsThe results demonstrated the three-factor structure of the CPCS: cognitive (nine items), social (eight items) and physical (nine items). Factorial invariance was confirmed between elementary and junior high school students, as well as between boys and girls. Construct validity was excellent. Scores on the cognitive, physical and general self-worth domains declined with increasing age. Boys scored significantly higher than girls on physical and general self-worth domains.ConclusionsThe CPCS is a valid and reliable measure of perceived competence in Japanese children aged 6–15 years. The CPCS may be applied to students from elementary through junior high school days as a measure of self-perceived and psychological state in Japan.

Highlights

It is important for children to maintain high self-perceived competence and self-esteem, and there are few measures to evaluate them through elementary to junior high school days in Japan
The first factor included Competence Scale (CPCS) items belonging to the physical domain; the second factor included items belonging to the cognitive domain; and the third factor included items belonging to the social domain (Table 2)
We examined whether the 3-factor structure showed factorial invariance between elementary and junior high school students as well as between boys and girls

Summary

Introduction

It is important for children to maintain high self-perceived competence and self-esteem, and there are few measures to evaluate them through elementary to junior high school days in Japan. Abstract reasoning was reported to begin at around 12 years of age, with abstraction of self traits beginning in early adolescence (age 11–13 years) [7, 13, 14] These findings, that pre-adolescents tend to express elaborate taxonomic attributes and focus on specific competencies, led to the development of a multi-dimensional or domain-specific approach to child development [15,16,17]. This resulted in the formulation of two determinants, with success in domains deemed important determined by self and the reflected appraisals of others [18, 19]

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Conclusion