Self-concept

Question 1

What is self and self-concept?

Answer 1

Self: The combination of physical and psychological attributes that is unique to each individual
Self-Concept: One’s perceptions of one’s unique combination of attributes

Question 2

How does self concept develop in toddlers (1-3 yrs)?

Answer 2

Self-recognition, self conscious emotions, self-assertion and increased possessiveness

Question 3

How do researchers test for self-recognition in toddlers?

Answer 3

• Rouge test: Put red dot on child’s face and put them in front of a mirror, to pass they have to touch their own face. Pass between 15-24 months. Many children pass between 18-20 months
• Photo selection: show child three pictures, one of the child and then photos of 2 other children (that are same age, gender, and ethnicity as the child you are asking) and the child has to select the photo that is them. Pass between 20 and 30 months

Question 4

What are self-conscious emotions and when do they emerge?

Answer 4

Emotions we experience in relation to our self. Includes guilt, shame, embarrassment, pride. Emerge between 15 and 24 months

Question 5

Describe self-assertion, including what it means and when it emerges.

Answer 5

No!”; “I do it”; “Mine!” Emerges between 15-24 months and likely to peak by 36 months (3 years). Child’s sense of self is getting stronger, natural to exert self over others. Possessive over things that “belong” to them because they are seen as an extension of the self

Question 6

What does self development look like in preschoolers (3-5 years)?

Answer 6

Preschoolers’ self-descriptions focus on concrete, observable characteristics such as: Physical attributes (“I have blue eyes”), Physical activities/abilities (“I can run real fast”), Social relationships (“I have a sister”), Possessions (“I have a kitty”), Preferences (“I like pizza. Psychological or abstract characteristics are missing from preschooler self-description

Question 7

Why do preschoolers tend to have unrealistically positive self-descriptions?

Answer 7

Fail to distinguish between “ideal” and “actual” selves. Usually do not consider their own prior successes and failures when assessing their abilities. Do not generally compare their behavior or characteristics with those of others (social comparison). On average preschoolers don’t do these things compared to older kids and adults. It makes sense why preschoolers self-concept is unrealistic and overly positive

Question 8

What are the two aspects of self?

Answer 8

• Public Self: Self that others can see
• Private Self: Inner, reflective self not available to others. As adults we know we have a public self (observable characteristics), our private self is what is going on in our minds. We recognize the distinction between the two.

Question 9

Why is understanding the distinction between the public and private self important?

Answer 9

• Awareness of private self implies an awareness of mental states such as desires and beliefs that. Are not accessible to others, guide behavior, awareness of these mental states is critical for understanding others
• If you don’t understand that others have mental states that guide their behavior, it is difficult to understand or predict their behavior

Question 10

As adults, how do we use our knowledge of mental states?

Answer 10

We assume that mental states such as desires and beliefs motivate action (behavior)

• ex:Why did Jimmy go to Billy’s house?” a)Desires(“He wanted to play with Billy”)
  b) Beliefs (“He thought that Billy was at home”)

Question 11

How do children develop an understanding of these “invisible” states and their influence on action/behavior?

Answer 11

Theory of mind: common sense understanding of how mental states can effect their behavior, desires, etc

Question 12

When does theory of mind begin to develop?

Answer 12

Between 1 and 5 years of age

Question 13

What is theory of mind?

Answer 13

A basic understanding of how the mind works and how it influences actions/behavior
-Ex: Desires and beliefs produce actions/behavior

Question 14

What happens between 2 and 3 years of age in regard to theory of mind?

Answer 14

Talk about mental states (e.g., feelings, desires), understand that desires can influence actions/behavior and that people can have different desires, understand that beliefs can influence actions/behavior but don’t understand that people can have different beliefs.
-Seem to treat beliefs as accurate views of reality that everyone shares
» Do not understand that a person’s actions/behavior may be influenced by an inaccurate or false belief

Question 15

How do they know 2-3 year olds understand the beliefs and desires of others?

Answer 15

Told them stories about a character that has a desire for something specific. The character has a choice between playing with something they want to play with and something else. Ask the child what the character is going to do. At age 2 or 3 children answer pretty accurately, they understand that their behavior is going to be influenced by their desire. Also understand that people have different desires. Ask children about their desires prior to hearing the story, and present the child with stories where the character has different desires

Question 16

What are false belief tasks?

Answer 16

Test a child’s understanding that another person’s behavior will be based on that person’s belief, even if the belief is inaccurate •3-year-olds typically fail false belief tasks
•By age 5, children pass false belief tasks

Question 17

What children have difficulty with solving false belief tasks?

Answer 17

Children with autism often have great difficulty with false belief tasks
•Congenitally deaf children of hearing parents (“late signers”) also have difficulty with false belief tasks (exposed to sign language later then deaf children born to deaf parents)

Question 18

What biological factors may influence the development of TOM?

Answer 18

Some researchers argue that TOM is a product of evolution
-Adaptive to understand mental states such as beliefs and desires (those that were better able to understand mental states of others survived and passed on their genes)
-makes it possible to understand and predict others’ behavior
-born with the ability to develop TOM
»TOM module: Brain mechanism that makes it possible for children to acquire a theory of mind

Question 19

What is the TOM module?

Answer 19

Brain mechanism that makes it possible for children to acquire a theory of mind

Question 20

What children lack the TOM module?

Answer 20

Autistic children lack the TOM module. Individuals with autism have difficulty with false belief tasks even though they can do well on other more intellectually challenging tasks.

Question 21

What specific forms of social interaction do researchers argue may contribute to development of TOM?

Answer 21

• Pretend play: Pretending to be someone one is not or pretending that an object is something else may foster understanding that beliefs may not always reflect reality.

a) Some research indicates that young children who engage in pretend play more frequently perform better on TOM measures (e.g., false belief tasks)
- Discussions with others about mental states such as desires, beliefs, etc.
a) Some research indicates that mothers who talk more about mental states with young children have children who perform better on TOM measures (e.g., false belief tasks)

Question 22

Peterson study

Answer 22

Children who are late signers and children with autism may show delay in TOM development because of their restricted access to specific kinds of social interactions (e.g., pretend play, conversations about mental states. Kids with autism and late-signers are not exposed to as many conversations about mental states (for different reasons). Parents of autistic children have a hard time communicating with their children, even about concrete things let alone mental states. Also an issue with parent’s of deaf-children because they are trying to learn sign language and have difficulty communicating with their child in general

Question 23

What did Peterson’s study find?

Answer 23

Children who were late signers or who had autism performed better on “false drawing” tasks compared to typically developing preschool age children. Typically developing preschool age children performed better on “false belief” tasks compared to children who were late signers or who had autism.