The impact of absolute and relative feedback on children's self-evaluation: Transitioning from kindergarten to first grade

Absolute feedback and relative feedback significantly influence children's self-evaluation. However, previous research has examined these influences separately, leaving the relative importance of absolute versus relative feedback for children unclear. This study aimed to determine which type of feedback is more crucial for children and how they develop responses to both during educational transitions. The effects of absolute feedback and relative feedback on self-evaluation were compared among kindergarten children (N = 72) and first-grade children (N = 81) using a 2 (Absolute Score: high vs. low) × 2 (Relative Rank: high vs. low) between-subjects design. Results indicated that kindergarten children primarily responded to absolute feedback in terms of satisfaction with performance and predicting absolute scores. Conversely, first graders showed sensitivity to absolute feedback concerning satisfaction, emotional responses, and prediction of scores. Moreover, first graders also began exhibiting sensitivity to relative feedback regarding emotional responses and prediction of ranks. These findings imply that absolute feedback holds greater significance for children, but with age they become adept at integrating both types of feedback into their self-evaluation processes.