Young children's overestimation of performance: A cross‐cultural comparison. Issue 2 (6th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xia, Mengtian; Poorthuis, Astrid M. G.; Zhou, Qiang; Thomaes, Sander
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 93:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: e207
• Page End: e221
• Publication Date: 2021-11-06
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13709
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract: Western literature suggests that young children overestimate their performance across a range of tasks. Research in non‐Western cultures, however, is lacking. In 2019, 101 Chinese (52% girls) and 98 Dutch (49% girls) children, ages 4 and 5, were asked to estimate how well they would perform on both a motor and a memory task. Children from both countries overestimated their performance to the same extent ( η p 2 = .077 and .027 for the motor and memory tasks, respectively). They generally persevered in doing so despite receiving realistic performance feedback. Yet, children overestimated their peers' performance about as much as their own performance, in some cases even more. This is the first demonstration of performance overestimation in children growing up in a non‐Western culture.