Children's ratings of competence and relationship quality were
used to examine the association between idealized or inflated
self-perceptions and level of aggression. Participants were 62
aggressive and 53 nonaggressive second and third graders. Ratings of
competence were based on the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence
and Social Acceptance for Young Children; ratings of relationship
quality were drawn from the Social Support Appraisals Scale and the
Network of Relationships Inventory. External ratings of competence and
relationship quality were obtained from mothers, teachers, and
peers. Compared to children who were nonaggressive, aggressive
children were more likely to rate personal competence and relationship
quality in a perfect or idealized manner and to show less
differentiation in their ratings of competence and relationship
quality. Aggressive children's self-rated competence and
relationship quality were also inflated relative to the ratings made
by others, whereas the self-ratings of nonaggressive children tended
to be underestimates of their functioning. The tendency for aggressive
children to idealize and to inflate ratings of competence and
relationship quality was associated with higher levels of
aggression. For aggressive children, a highly positive self-view is
construed—not as a protective factor or measurement error
— but as a defensive posture that places the child at added risk
and that impedes the progress of psychosocial interventions.