The purpose of the present study was to investigate the developmental process of self-presentation in children on the basis of its relation to the development of cognition of evaluation (which the target person of the self-presentation (TP) held toward the presenter) and to the development of social approval need.
Ss were second, third, and fifth grade elementary school children. In order to investigate the above problem, the following four studies were conducted.
In study I, we investigated the development of cognition concerning the way in which the TP evaluated the presenters with different kinds of self-presentation.
In study II, from the standpoint of age and sex, the dominance of ability aspects and personality aspects in social approval need were investigated.
In study III and IV, we investigated the developmental process of self-presentation on one's actual ability. In study III, TPs were classmates who most frequently made contact with the Ss, and in study IV, TPs were university students who did not know the Ss at all.
According to the results from study I-IV, we inferred the following developmental process concerning self-presentation in children.
1) Because even second grade children recognized that a self-deprecating presenter's personality was evaluated more highly than a self-enhancing presenter's personality, they could present themselves deprecatingly (modestly).
2) With an increase in the number of TPs whom third grade children were conscious of, they would learn to present themselves deprecatingly, not only to known TPs, but also to newly met TPs as well.
3) Moreover in the case of fifth grade girls, codnition which influenced self-presentation differentiated depending on the TP. That is, in case the TP knew them well they based their self-presentation on the TP's cognition about them, and in case the TP did not know them at all they presented themselves enhancingly in a way they could conceal their negative points.