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Self-representation and brain development

Michael Lewis1, Dennis P Carmody

  • 1Institute for the Study of Child Development, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA. lewis@umdnj.edu

Developmental Psychology
|September 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Brain maturation in toddlers is linked to developing self-representation. Specifically, the left temporo-parietal junction

Area of Science:

  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Cognitive development
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Self-representation emerges in early childhood.
  • Brain development underpins cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between brain maturation and the development of self-representation in young children.
  • To identify specific brain regions associated with early self-representation.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed self-representation using mirror recognition, personal pronoun use, and pretend play.
  • Acquired structural brain images via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  • Quantitatively measured the maturation of key brain regions: temporo-parietal junction, temporal pole, medial frontal cortex, and occipital cortex.

Main Results:

  • Maturation of the left temporo-parietal junction showed a significant relationship with self-representation.
  • This association remained significant after controlling for the child's age.

Conclusions:

  • Brain maturation, particularly in the left temporo-parietal junction, is associated with the emergence of self-representation in human infants and young children.
  • Provides evidence linking neural development to the development of the self.

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