Self-other contrast and the development of personal constructs.

Abstract

Previous research has shown that on average, normal adults tend to assign themselves and others to the same poles of bipolar constructs such as ''happy/sad'', approximately 63% of the time. An interpretation of this finding based on information theory implies that this distribution of like-self and unlike-self judgements will make perceived differences between self and others stand out as maximally salient. In this study, 1,105 Canadian children, ranging in age from 8 to 18 years, and including 740 anglophones and 365 francophones, completed a repertory grid test in which they categorized both themselves and 11 acquaintances on 12 supplied constructs. There was a significant linear relationship between age and the relative proportion of like-self judgements in both linguistic groups. This relationship gradually decreased from about 67% at age 8 to approximately 63% during midadolescence. This finding, which is consistent with the results of earlier studies, was discussed within the framework of personal construct theory.