Self-awareness of a person begins to form in infancy and corresponds to the main stages of mental development. It is a factor influencing human behavior.
Self-awareness is the main condition for every person's life. Thanks to this, there is not only an understanding of oneself, but also the correct building of relationships with others. The main task that is solved in this case is the awareness of one's “I”, one's individuality and independence.
How self-consciousness is formed according to the theory of the mirror self
This theory was formulated by C. Cooley. He noticed that at first, other people have an impression of a person. This leads to an assessment of the personality. Then the subject forms a reaction to the received assessment. Thus, the other person is a "mirror image", thanks to which the person acquires information about himself and his actions. But this view has been criticized, as children under 11 believe that their parents know more about them than the preschoolers and schoolchildren themselves. On the basis of this theory, J. Mead's hypothesis was formulated, which was named "The concept of symbolic interactionism."
Stages of the formation of self-awareness (theory of L. S. Rubinstein)
These stages completely coincide with the periods of the baby's mental development.
The infant is actively developing a body schema. This appears due to the fact that the child begins to understand where his body parts end, and where, for example, mother's begin. The body diagram also includes objects that are in contact with the baby for a long time (clothes).
The second stage is associated with the period when the child begins to take the first steps. This contributes to the fact that a person begins to build his relationships with other people in a different way. For the first time, a sense of independence begins to appear.
The third stage is associated with the creation of gender-role identification. The child begins to realize that he is a boy or a girl. At this moment, he begins to identify himself with other people around him.
The fourth stage concerns the development of speech activity. New relationships are built between the baby and the adults. There is an opportunity to more clearly form their desires and require others to fulfill them.
There are other theories that are being actively discussed by scientists. For example, according to the concept of self-perception, it is believed that
self-awareness is formed as a result of observing oneself. In any case, self-awareness affects human behavior and is a set of ideas about oneself, assessments of the people around.
