Who we are as a distinct individuals, defined party by our place in a social and cultural system (Baumeister, 2011).
The Self
What we mean when we speak of ourselves our yourselves (Baumeister, 2011).
Includes elements of ‘self-concept’
Social-identity
The aspect of our self…that is determined by our group memberships (Sutton & Douglas, 2019)
Neisser’s Five Senses of Self: Infancy
Ecological self
Sense of where we are as we move through the physical environment
Automatic process: emerges after birth
Interpersonal self:
Sense of ‘I’ versus ‘You’ in social interactions
Not unique to humans
Emerges shortly after birth
Neisser’s Five Senses of Self: Early Childhood
Extended self
Aware of autobiographic timeline: connection between past, present, and future
From around age 4
Private self:
Understand we have private thoughts, perspectives no one else has
From around age 4
Conceptual self
Sense of place in wider sociocultural context
From age 4-5, major growth in middle childhood and beyond
Neisser’s Five Senses of Self: Key Point
Sense of self not based on a single insight → gradual developmental process over time of different sense of self, together contribute to higher order selfconcept.
Testing the sense of self: The mirror test
Self concept:
Children understand that the mirror image is them
Most children pass the test by 2 years, some as early as 18 months
More basic forms of self perception may be present from much earlier – birth?
