Self-awareness develops gradually. Initially, infants placed in front of a mirror will reach out to touch their image, thinking it is another baby. By about 18 months, toddlers recognize themselves in the mirror and will touch their own nose when seeing paint on it. By 24–36 months old, children can name and/or point to themselves in pictures, indicating self-recognition.

Developmental Timeline of Self-Recognition

The mirror test is an experiment used to assess self-recognition. In a well-known version of this test, a researcher placed a red dot of paint on children's noses before putting them in front of a mirror (Amsterdam, 1972). Touching their own noses indicates self-recognition, which is demonstrated by humans and a few other species (Archer, 1992).

Google

Self-concept is defined as an understanding of who one is. Infants do not initially possess a self-concept, but developing it is a key milestone of childhood.

Self-Concept Definition

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

Learn Before

Related

Learn After