Description

The Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPP-C) is a psychological assessment tool designed to measure children’s self-concept across multiple domains. Developed by Harter in 1985, the SPP-C is widely used in educational and psychological settings to understand how children perceive their competence and worth in various areas of their lives. The SPP-C is structured to assess self-perception in a way that highlights the child’s feelings of adequacy, competence, and social acceptance.

Structure and Domains:

The SPP-C consists of 36 items that are divided into six distinct domains of self-perception:

Scholastic Competence: How competent a child feels in school and academic work.

Social Acceptance: How well the child feels accepted by peers and how many friends they have.

Athletic Competence: How skilled and capable the child feels in sports and physical activities.

Physical Appearance: The child’s satisfaction with their physical appearance and body image.

Behavioral Conduct: The child’s perception of their behavior in terms of adhering to rules and social expectations.

Global Self-Worth: A general sense of self-esteem and overall self-worth.

Each domain consists of a series of questions that measure the child’s self-perception in that area, using a structured format where children choose between two statements and rate how true they feel the statement is for them. This format helps children express their self-concept in a more nuanced and sensitive way.

Goal

The primary objective of the SPP-C is to provide a clear, quantitative measure of a child’s self-perception across multiple domains. It is used in both clinical and educational contexts to:

Identify areas where a child might have low self-esteem or feel less competent.

Support interventions designed to improve self-perception and boost confidence.

Monitor changes in self-concept over time, especially in response to counseling, academic interventions, or social support.

Conduct research on child development, particularly related to self-esteem, peer relationships, and academic performance.

Data Analysis and Use

Data collected through the SPP-C is usually analyzed using statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and reliability testing (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency). Researchers and clinicians use the results to:

Generate profiles that highlight strengths and areas of need for individual children.

Compare self-perception across different age groups, genders, or cultural backgrounds.

Assess correlations between self-perception and other outcomes like academic success, social behavior, and psychological well-being.

Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving children’s self-esteem and social functioning.

Calibration

Calibration of the SPP-C involves ensuring that the instrument is reliable and valid across different populations of children. Calibration steps include:

Standardization: Ensuring the test is applicable to a wide range of children from different backgrounds.

Norming: Establishing norms based on representative samples, so individual scores can be interpreted relative to peers.

Validation: Testing the instrument for validity, meaning it accurately measures self-perception in the intended domains.

Cultural Adaptation: Adjusting the instrument for cultural relevance in non-English-speaking populations or diverse cultural groups.

Bibliography

Harter, S. (1985). Manual for the Self-Perception Profile for Children. University of Denver.

Harter, S. (1999). The Construction of the Self: Developmental and Sociocultural Foundations. Guilford Press.

Wichstrøm, L. (1995). Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents: Reliability, validity, and evaluation of the question format. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65(1), 100-116.

Harter, S., & Pike, R. (1984). The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children. Child Development, 55, 1969-1982.