Brief Report: The Me Beyond the Mirror: Exploring the Developmental Correlates of the Multidimensional Self.

Abstract

Recognizing the limitations of mirror self-recognition as a measure of self development, we use a multidimensional caregiver report measure known as the self-concept questionnaire (SCQ), consisting of four different factors (self-description/evaluation, self-recognition, emotional response to wrongdoing and autonomy) to replicate the previously identified developmental correlates of objective self-awareness for 199 14- to 54-month-old children. Primary caregivers were recruited via an online research platform to answer a survey regarding the development of their child, including the SCQ, and standardized measures of attachment, cognitive development, and social behavior. Correlation and linear regression analyses demonstrated that the established cognitive and social predictors of mirror self-recognition are also related to wider aspects of self-awareness, as measured by the SCQ. Older infants, with strong attachment bonds who placed greater demands on their caregiver and engaged in more pretend play, imitation, self-regulation, and prosociality were likely to have a more developed sense of self. These factors accounted for over 60% of the variance in overall SCQ scores, with pretend play, prosociality, and relational demands making independently significant contributions to the model. To determine causality, we suggest that future observational studies broaden their understanding of the development of the self beyond the mirror mark test of self-awareness and focus on the longitudinal mapping of the social and cognitive process of self-other-differentiation.