PERCEPTION OF SELF-COMPETENCE IN RELATION TO LANGUAGE COMPETENCE AMONG PESCHOOLERS

The development of self-competence in young children emerges gradually as children become aware of their own abilities and acquire greater cognitive, self-help, social, and physical skills. Self-competence is viewed by many researchers such as Harter (1983) and Bandura (1988) as the perception of confidence in achieving success in certain tasks or areas. Measuring self-competence is difficult in early childhood because children must have meta-awareness of their own competence and must be able to evaluate their own achievements. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between language competence and self-competence among 3- and 4-year-old children. Thirty-nine 3and 4-year-old children with no known language delays were administered the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (Harter & Pike, 1984) and the Preschool Language Assessment instrument (PLAI). Correlations were run between the four group scores on the PLAI with the subcategories of self-competence (i.e., cognitive competences, physical competence, peer acceptance, and maternal acceptance) of the PSPCSA. Results indicated significant correlation, occurring between the reasoning about perception subscale of the PLAI with the peer acceptance, r = .384, p <.01, and maternal acceptance subcategory on the PSPCSA, r = .370, p <.01. The results off-he present study indicate that the perception of self-competence among children is influenced by their language competence. The significant correlation between the more abstract dimensions of self-competence (i.e., peer acceptance and maternal acceptance) and the reasoning about perception subscale of language competence, clearly indicates that adequate language competence of children is essential in order for them to provide information about their meta awareness of themselves.