Study Of The Development Of Self-understanding

This study used qualitative research to explore self-understanding. Ss were 80 children aged 7, 10, 14, 17 years old, 40 females and 40 males. Measure was physical self, active self, social self, agency, continuity and distinctness. The coding standard was Hart's scoring manual for self-understanding . The results showed that:1. The level of self-understanding for 14-17 year-old children was higher than that of 7-10 year-old children. For 7-10 children, the understanding of objective self was mainly at the second level, the understanding of subjective self was mainly at the second level; For 14 year-old children, the understanding of objective self was mainly at the second level, the understanding of subjective self was mainly at the third level; For 17 year-old children, the understanding of objective self was mainly at the third level, the understanding of subjective self was mainly at the third level.2. At an early stage children recognized not only their physical and active self but also social and psychological self, as well as understanding of objective self, even for those preschoolers.3. Advanced development for understanding of the objective self still contained a large proportion physical self. Physical character occupied an important place in the development of the understanding of objective self.4. The development of objective self for children was not a transformable process from body to action to society and to psychology, from low to high. On the contrary, during the whole course from childhood to adolescence, physical, active, social and psychological self all changed.5. For all age periods, children had understanding to various degrees for physical, active, social and psychological self. Each schema changed along with development, but it didn't mean one disappeared or transformed to another one.6. All children were aware of agency, continuity and distinctness. Each schema changed along with development, but it didn't mean one disappeared or transformed to another one.