Self concept is defined by Bee and Boyd (2007) in The Developing Child as one’s knowledge of and thoughts about the set of qualities attributed to the self. Piaget’s theory offer’s us an indication of when this develops in infants and toddlers, and Freud also gives some indication of this developed realization of self. When examining this concept; however, American psychologist William James approach is considered the best hypothesis. “William James compartmentalized the global self-concept into one compartment he called the “I” and the other he called the “me.” The “I” is considered the subjective self; that is the inner sense that “I am”, “I exist”. The “me” aspect is sometimes called the objective self, which is the awareness of the “I” self that is separate from others” (Bee & Boyd, 2007). What needs to occurs here is the infant and toddler’s realization that they are included in the larger scheme of life. In Piaget’s theory, one critical element of this is the understanding of object permanence, “which develops about 9-12 months of age, when the child realizes that mom and dad continue to exist even though they are out of sight. What the infant is also figuring out, in some preliminary way, is if he exists separately and has some permanence” (Bee & Boyd, 2007). [A good experiment to determine self awareness in an infant or toddler is the mirror experiment. Having a baby or toddler look into the mirror and acknowledge the reflection and make faces or gestures is a good start. To see if they are acknowledging the reflection as a different person or as themselves, try wiping the face of the reflection to see their reaction. If they flinch as if you are wiping their own face, then you know they are aware that they exist and have developed a “self awareness”] Rochat, 2004. Once an infant or toddler is aware of these self-concepts, they can begin to develop a better sense of environment and ability to communicate with other individuals. This can also help them develop a sense of who they are, and their overall purpose in the world at that particular time. “Having achieved an initial self-awareness, the preschool child begins to define ‘who I am’ by learning about his or her own qualities and his or her social roles” (Bee & Boyd, 2007).
Sources
Bee, H., and Boyd, B. (2007). The Developing Child (11th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Rochat, Phillip. (2004). "CHAPTER 7 - Origins of Self-concept." Blackwell Handbook of Infant
Development.. Retrieved July 14, 2010 from: <http://www.credoreference.com/entry/
bkhid/chapter_7_origins_of_self_concept>.