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Brief Report: The Me Beyond the Mirror: Exploring the Developmental Correlates of the Multidimensional Self
Yaroslava Goncharova1, Josephine Ross1
1Psychology, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|September 15, 2025
Summary
This study reveals that a child's sense of self develops beyond mirror recognition, influenced by social and cognitive factors like pretend play and strong attachment bonds. These elements significantly predict overall self-awareness in young children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Child Development
Background:
- Mirror self-recognition is a limited measure of self-development.
- Objective self-awareness has previously identified developmental correlates.
- A multidimensional caregiver report, the Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ), assesses broader self-awareness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To replicate previously identified developmental correlates of objective self-awareness.
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive/social factors and broader self-awareness using the SCQ.
- To identify predictors of self-awareness in 14- to 54-month-old children.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 199 primary caregivers via an online platform.
- Administered the Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ) and standardized measures of attachment, cognitive development, and social behavior.
- Utilized correlation and linear regression analyses.
Main Results:
- Cognitive and social predictors of mirror self-recognition also relate to wider self-awareness (SCQ).
- Older infants with strong attachment, higher relational demands, pretend play, imitation, self-regulation, and prosociality showed more developed self-awareness.
- Pretend play, prosociality, and relational demands significantly contributed to the model, explaining over 60% of variance in SCQ scores.
Conclusions:
- Self-awareness development is linked to cognitive and social factors beyond mirror recognition.
- Future research should use longitudinal observational studies to map the social and cognitive processes of self-other-differentiation.
- Understanding self-development requires moving beyond the mirror mark test to encompass broader social and cognitive influences.
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