Research On The Development Of 3-6 Years Old Children’s Self-examination Ability And Its Effects On Self-Control

In China, self-examination is a well-established concept. As early as in the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius was advocating self-examination and thinking of it as a basic method of moral cultivation. Previous studies show that the self-examination is very important to promote individual personality and social development. The research of self-examination can enrich the theory of self-consciousness, indirectly promote the individual mental health, and provide theoretical guidance for moral education. But most of the current literatures are speculative, which are short of empirical research results. The objectives of current research are mainly about teenagers and adults, and young children’s self-examination is rarely talked about. Most of the content of current research is study of the concept, method and effect of self-examination, but not its formation or development. From the perspective of psychology, self-examination belongs to the category of self-consciousness. It is a kind of orientation of self-recognition, and refers to one’s understanding of mistakes and shortages. Early childhood is an important period of the development of self-consciousness. Therefore, it is necessary to research young children’s self-examination ability. At the same time, early childhood is also an important stage of the development of self-control. Both of them belong to the category of self-consciousness, and studies have point out a relationship may exists between them, so the young children’s self-control ability is also investigated.Due to the lack of research tools for children’s self-examination ability, this research bases on the literature review, interviews with teachers, parents and experts, and then confirms the structure of children’s self-examination ability. The questionnaire about 3-6 years old children’s self-examination ability is made after the forecast test, adjustment and statistical analysis. The ability of self-examination can be divided into three parts: understanding of own mistake, understanding of own shortage and understanding of own good but not good enough. The deviation orientation, mixed orientation and objective orientation are chosen for scoring criteria. In addition, the questionnaire on the developmental level of preschool children self-control assessed by teachers is adopted according to the needs of this research. 242 3-6 years old children from a public kindergarten and a private kindergarten were investigated. The data of the investigation is used to analyze the development of children’s self-examination ability and its effects on self- control. Conclusions of the research are as follows:First, the questionnaire about 3-6 years old children’s self-examination ability is made, which has good reliability and validity, accords with the requirement of the educational and psychological measurement, and it is suitable survey tool used for testing young children’s self-examination ability.Second, 4-6 years old children’s self-examination ability is at the medium to high level. In the three dimensions, the understanding of own good but not good enough which gets the highest score, the understanding of own shortage is in the middle, and the understanding of own mistake gets the lowest score.Third, children’s self-examination ability sprouts in 4 years old and enhances along with age. 5 years old children’s self-examination ability was significantly higher than that of 4 years old children.Fourth, there is no significant difference between 4-6 years old girls and boys. There is also no significant difference between children in private kindergarten and public kindergarten.Fifth, there is a qualitative difference between the children’s self-control of the private kindergarten and public kindergarten.Sixth, the children’s self-control is in the medium to high level. This ability develops with age, but there is a turning point at the age of 4. The self-control of the girls in the public kindergarten is significantly higher than that of boys.Seventh, the understanding of own good but not good enough of 4-6 years old children in public kindergarten significantly and positively predicts their self-imposed delay of gratification. And the understanding of own good but not good enough of 4-6 years old children in private kindergarten significantly and negatively predicts their self-control.