Beck, and other researchers have postulated that anxious individuals have cognitions that overemphasize negative information, thereby maintaining and/or increasing anxious mood. Self-perceptions of cognitive abilities were examined in fifty-one primary school children in Standards 3 and 4. On the basis of scores on the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI), 55% of the participants were classified as socially anxious and 45% were classified as non-socially anxious. After completing two cognitive performance tasks, a mathematics test and an impromptu speech, participants self-perceptions of themselves and their cognitive abilities were evaluated. The results showed that cognitive distortions in cognitive information-processing as described by -Beck and previously addressed in relation to depression, were also observed in socially anxious children. In addition, socially anxious children were more likely than non-socially anxious children to have negative expectations for their social performance and compare themselves unfavourably with others. The results supported the overly negative self-evaluations of socially anxious children, while the self-evaluations of the non-socially anxious children were more positive. Socially anxious children also made more negative self-statements and negative attributions to explain the outcome of negative events. The findings of the present study are discussed in reference to previous theories and research. Suggestions are also offered for future research directions.