Personal and Social Identity in Children's Self-concepts About Drawing

Children's perceptions of their competence at school activities play a key role in achievement motivations. Yet little attention is paid to sources of children's self-concepts about drawing. Children's self-concepts describe discrete yet related Aspects of self-knowledge about drawing, as distinct from number and reading activities. In Study 1, correlational evidence suggested that self-concepts about drawing rely on children's sense of individuality and not a sense of belonging at school ( n = 84). In Study 2, an intervention using self-categorisations confirmed a stronger personal basis than social basis of self-concepts about drawing ( n = 61). Understanding the nature of children's self-concepts about drawing activities has implications for motivating children to approach, and persist with challenging design and creative tasks.