SELF-AWARENESS DEVELOPS THROUGH SOCIAL INTERACTION WITH ADULTS AND IN TANDEM WITH LANGUAGE SKILLS

Young children develop self-awareness when they have social interaction with adults. For example, when parents interact with their babies and acknowledge their responses by smiling back or expressing happiness when children smile, babies learn that their presence is affirmed.

Adult caregivers’ responses to babies play a crucial role in how they perceive themselves. Responsive care that considers the baby's needs and interests creates a positive sense of self. When babies have nurturing and warm relationships with regular caregivers, they develop a more positive sense of self.

A positive sense of self ensures that babies will relate to people in a more socially secure manner.

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3. McMullen, M. B., & Dixon, S. (2009). In support of a relationship-based approach to practice with infants and toddlers in the United States. In Brownlee, J. (Ed.), Participatory learning and the early years (pp. 109-128). London: Routledge.

A study of 64 four and five-month old babies investigated maternal contingent responsiveness and social expectation behaviour in a

. Mothers were asked to interact with their infants for two minutes (interactive phase), remain still-faced for one minute (still-face phase), and resume interaction for two minutes. Mother and infant behaviours were assessed for the frequency of their smiles.

Mothers’ smiles were contingent to infants’ smiles and infants’ smiles were contingent to mothers’ smiles during the interactive phase, and infants’ social bids to mothers during the still-face phase. Maternal contingent responsiveness also showed that mothers’ smiles are contingent on infants’ smiles and vice-versa The study showed that young infants’ social expectations and sense of self-efficacy are formed during their interactions with their caregivers.

A longitudinal study on 72 Cameroonian Nso and German families found that babies whose mothers were more contingently responsive recognised themselves more in mirrors. Hence, these babies developed self-awareness rapidly.

Young children develop a sense of self during interactions with others through moment-by-moment experiences of emotional communication. Babies learn about themselves as they learn about the feelings of others. Hence, increased opportunity to engage in cooperative social interaction and exposure to talk about mental states facilitate the development of social understanding.

Language development affects self-awareness and helps develop social understanding. A dramatic step in the development of self-awareness is achieved toward the end of the second year of life, in parallel with the acquisition of verbal communication. At this stage, children also become capable of learning language about emotions and as a result, they are enabled to achieve emotional self-awareness. Increased opportunity to engage in cooperative social interaction and exposure to talk about mental states facilitate the development of social understanding and helps children develop self and other awareness.

Studies of 88 toddler pairs aged between 18-30 months showed that one-year-olds’ coordinated actions appeared more coincidental than cooperative whereas older children appeared to be more actively cooperating toward a shared goal. Differences in coordinated activity with peers were associated with differences in attention sharing with an adult (which required self-awareness) and with language about self and other. The ability to cooperate with peers and become a true social partner develops over the second and third years of life, corresponding with growing social understanding.

A study on the use of possessive pronouns was carried out with 66 British toddlers. Researchers observed the toddlers in their homes over two visits six months apart when toddlers turned 18, 24 or 30 months. The study showed that the ability to use possessive pronouns, which emerges between 18 and 24 months, unfolded when children developed the concept of self and other. The use of possessive pronouns was initially associated with physical aggression. However, children who used possessive pronouns at the first visit were significantly more likely to share objects with their peers six months later. The finding suggests that general conversational competence and the ability to talk about the possession of objects may facilitate positive relations with peers.

Caregivers can help develop self-awareness and enhance their social skills are by providing opportunities for baby to interact with others, labelling babies and toddlers’ feelings, helping toddlers develop language to describe themselves and encouraging toddlers to do things on their own.