Which of the following best explains why young children often have unrealistically positive self-descriptions?

• A. They are highly influenced by negative feedback from peers.
• B. They lack the cognitive ability to compare themselves accurately to others.
• C. They have already developed a strong sense of social comparison.
• D. They possess a fully developed understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of self-description in young children, which refers to how children perceive and describe their own abilities and characteristics.
2. Recognize that young children often have unrealistically positive self-descriptions because their cognitive development is still in progress, particularly in areas related to comparison and self-evaluation.
3. Identify that the ability to accurately compare oneself to others requires certain cognitive skills, such as perspective-taking and understanding others' viewpoints, which young children have not fully developed yet.
4. Consider that because of this limited cognitive ability, young children tend to overestimate their abilities and have a positive bias in their self-descriptions, rather than being influenced primarily by negative feedback or social comparison.
5. Conclude that the best explanation is that young children lack the cognitive ability to compare themselves accurately to others, which leads to their unrealistically positive self-descriptions.