ABSTRACT
A good deal of the psychological research on the concept of self has focused on self-esteem and its relationship to individuals’ competence in various life spheres. The results of this work, however, have been disappointing, generally characterised by weak or non-significant findings (Wylie, 1979), despite the seemingly obvious practical importance of selfesteem. One of the several problems with the attempt to measure self-esteem, particularly that of children, is that little is known about the conceptual bases upon which individuals of various ages evaluate themselves. Indeed, not a great deal is known about the development of self-understanding. The research to be reported represents an attempt to increase that knowledge.
