Strong self-actualization is often vital to getting out of a particular situation as without it, you don’t ever really believe that you can. Unfortunately, research from the University of Amsterdam suggests that children from disadvantaged backgrounds often suffer from negative views of their academic abilities and themselves as a whole.
The authors believe that this tends to emerge because children from disadvantaged backgrounds are heavily exposed to negative messages about their intellect. Their subsequent negative self-view undermines their academic performance and fuels inequality. Indeed, the study found that by the age of 15, children from such backgrounds are 7x as likely to underperform as children from other backgrounds.
Fixed mindset
Similarly, the study found that children from poorer backgrounds often think that their intelligence is fixed, while also finding themselves less deserving than other children.
“They hold these self-views regardless of their actual abilities and achievements, which shows that these self-views are unrealistically negative,” the researchers say.
Sadly, the study found that these negative self-views are also perpetuated by the societal stereotypes held by those around them, including their teachers.
“Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are often seen by teachers as less intelligent and less able to grow their intelligence, even when they are as intelligent as their peers. They receive lower school recommendations, receive less preferential treatment, and are more likely to receive discouraging feedback, which reinforces their negative self-views,” the researchers continue. “This discouraging feedback can be well-intentioned, such as unsolicited help when the child is struggling or inflated praise when the child does well.”
Socio-cultural trap
Rather than blaming individuals, the researchers believe that both children and teachers are often trapped by socio-cultural contexts that help to make stereotypes about people from disadvantaged backgrounds so pervasive. This is especially so in environments that enforce the idea of meritocracy, as such environments promote the notion that success is down to you and you alone (with failure held the same way).
This kind of competitive environment is common in many schools, especially in countries where income inequality is high and schools extensively track performance.
“This leads children from disadvantaged backgrounds to arrive at the unjust conclusion: I’m not doing well in school because I’m not smart enough,” the researchers explain. “This harms their self-views and academic achievement, contributing to achievement inequality. Various studies show that children with negative self-views shy away from challenges, are more likely to give up when the going gets tough and perform more poorly under pressure.”
Changing the record
The researchers outline a number of things that can change to make the situation better. Starting with how kids from less fortunate backgrounds see themselves and how their teachers, schools, and society reinforce these views, the impact of these ideas spreads from individuals to the whole system.
But the researchers want to make it clear: they’re not saying we should just try to change how these disadvantaged kids see themselves.
“Children’s self-views are influenced by structural factors like stereotypes. It is not enough and even harmful to simply teach children to have more self-confidence. It may convey to children from disadvantaged backgrounds that they are themselves to blame for their predicament,” the authors conclude.
“Targeting children’s self-views can only be effective if we also target the structural factors that contribute to these self-views.”
