The relative-age effect in children self - esteem development: A
longitudinal study
LIU Shao-ying1, WU Zhi-jun1, CHEN Xia-fang2, LI Qing-gong3
1.Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, HangZhou
310018,China； 2. Affiliated Kindergartens, Zhejiang Normal university,
Hangzhou 310012; 3. Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University,
JinHua 321000, China
Abstract：Relative age refers to the differences between the child’s chronological age and an
eligibility cut-off date used for cohort selection, which has been found to be a significant factor in
academic achievement, educational attainment, and wage. However, few studies have focused on
the relative age effect of self-esteem development in young children. The present study examined
the role of relative age on the development of self-esteem using a longitudinal method in 107
young children from 5 to 5.5 years old. Children’s self-esteem was measured by teachers’ reports
every six months for three times. The results showed a significant relative age effect: the relatively
younger children’s self-esteem was constantly lower than the relatively older children in the same
cohort. The younger children’s self-esteem in T2 and T3 were significantly lower than the older
children’s self-esteem in T1 and T2 respectively, regardless of the same chronological age. We
also found that girls' self-esteem was higher than boys.
刘少英，武志俊，陈霞芳，李庆功. 幼儿自尊发展的相对年龄效应：追踪研究[J]. 应用心理学, 2018, 24(1): 15-22.
LIU Shao-yin, WU Zhi-jun1, CHEN Xia-fang, LI Qing-gong. The relative-age effect in children self - esteem development: A
longitudinal study. 应用心理学, 2018, 24(1): 15-22.
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