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On being the object of attention: implications for self-other consciousness

Vasudevi Reddy1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|September 10, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Early infant mutual attention, not joint attention, reveals awareness of directed attention. This awareness, initially focused on the self, shapes early affective self-consciousness, preceding conceptual understanding.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Infant Cognitive Development
  • Affective Neuroscience

Background:

  • Joint attention is traditionally seen as the infant's first understanding of others' attention.
  • Existing models do not fully explain early affective self-consciousness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose that mutual attention in early infancy involves awareness of attention's directedness.
  • To reframe early affective self-consciousness within this framework.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical argument based on developmental observations.
  • Analysis of early social interaction and affective responses.

Main Results:

  • Mutual attention in the first months involves recognizing attention directed towards the self.
  • This self-directed attention is the primary object, followed by external objects.
  • Early affective self-consciousness is an integral part of these early interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Awareness of directed attention precedes conceptual thought about self and other.
  • Early social engagements form 'self-other conscious affects', not mere precursors to later self-awareness.

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