Individuality, Belonging, and Children's Self Concepts: A Motivational Spiral Model of Self-Evaluation, Performance, and Participation in Physical Activities

Problématique. Ce projet avait pour objectif d’étudier les fondements sociaux et personnels des images de soi des enfants en rapport avec les activités physiques selon le modèle de la motivation de l’apprentissage en spirale. Ce modèle rapproche l’image de soi des enfants, leurs sentiments, leurs choix, leurs stratégies de résolution de problèmes et leurs performances, tout ce qui peut stimuler et contraindre les motivations des enfants à participer à des activités physiques dans les années à venir. Méthode. La première étude a porté sur de jeunes enfants (N= 40. Age: m = 6,3; σ= 1,1), mais aussi sur des moins jeunes (N= 36. Age : m = 10,2; σ= 1,2). La seconde concernait des enfants de 4 à 11 ans (N= 56. Age : m = 8; σ= 2,1). Résultats. Dans la première étude, les bases personnelles et sociales des images de soi variaient selon l’âge et les images des soi n’étaient pas nécessairement en rapport avec les performances observées. Dans la deuxième étude, les images de soi et les sentiments relatifs aux activités incitaient à une participation ultérieure fournissant aux enfants des occasions de développer leurs capacités et leur stratégies cognitives. Conclusion. Les résultats confirment les fondements hypothétiques personnels et sociaux des images de soi, ce qui est essentiel dans le modèle de l’apprentissage en spirale des motivations des enfants. Il en ressort qu’il existe des pistes communes et diversifiées qui conduisent les enfants à s’adonner à des activités physiques, ce qui a des retombées importantes sur les programmes cliniques et éducatifs concernant la santé et le bien‐être des enfants. This project examined the personal and social bases of children's self concepts about movement within the Motivational Spiral Model. The model relates children's self concepts, feelings, choices, task strategies, and performance that feed forward to support and constrain children's motivations to participate in physical movement in subsequent years. Study 1 was with younger (N= 40, age 6.3, SD 1.1 years) and older children (N= 36, age 10.2, SD 1.2 years). Study 2 was with 4‐ to 11‐year‐old children (N= 56, age 8.0, SD 2.1). In Study 1, personal and social bases of self concepts varied for younger and older children, and their self concepts were not necessarily associated with actual performance. In Study 2, children's self concepts and feelings about movement feed forward to subsequent participation providing children with opportunities to develop their task strategies and skills. Results support the proposed personal and social bases to self concepts that are central to the Motivational Spiral Model. The findings suggest common and diverse pathways to children's participation in physical activities, that have important applications in educational and clinical programmes for children's health and well‐being.     

Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930)

Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930) was fourteenth President of the American Psychological Association, invented the paired-associate technique, founded an early psychological laboratory, and developed a system of self-psychology. Her eminence as a psychologist and a scholar was widely acknowledged and she was the recipient of two honorary degrees. Calkins published prolifically in both psychology and philosophy, moving away from psychology into philosophy during the latter half of her career. Both her work in psychology and philosophy came to center on the importance of the self. Calkins studied with William James, Josiah Royce and Hugo Munsterberg at Harvard in the 1890s, and although she completed all the requirements for the Ph.D., she was not granted the degree because she was a woman. In 1902, she was offered a Radcliffe degree which she declined on principle, because she believed that work done at Harvard should be recognized by a Harvard degree regardless of whether the recipient was a female or a male. On many occasions throughout her life, she expressed her opposition to differentiation between the sexes based on the assumption of inherent differences in mental abilities.