The Nomological Net of Knowledge, Self-Reported Knowledge, and Overclaiming in Children

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  • Benjamin Goecke
  • Ulrich Schroeders
  • Zettler, Ingo
  • Stefan Schipolowski
  • Jessika Golle
  • Oliver Wilhelm

Research on self-reported knowledge and overclaiming in children is sparse. With the current study, we aim to close this gap by developing an overclaiming questionnaire measuring self-reported knowledge and overclaiming that is tailored to children. Moreover, we examine the nomological net of self-reported knowledge and overclaiming in childhood discussing three perspectives: Overclaiming as (a) a result of deliberate self-enhancement tendencies, (b) a proxy for declarative knowledge, and (c) an indicator of creative engagement. We juxtaposed overclaiming, as indicated by claiming familiarity with non-existent terms, and self-reported knowledge with fluid and crystallized intelligence, creativity, and personality traits in a sample of 897 children attending third grade. The results of several latent variable analyses were similar to findings known from adult samples: We found no strong evidence for any of the competing perspectives on overclaiming. Just like in adults, individual differences in self-reported knowledge were strongly inflated by overclaiming, and only weakly related to declarative knowledge.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Personality Assessment
Volume105
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)702-713
ISSN0022-3891
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

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