When you gaze into the sparkling eyes of an infant, you may wonder what is going on in their curious little mind. Fortunately, science can now shed light on questions about the stages of a child’s consciousness development.
Self-awareness is a fundamental question in psychology, especially from a developmental perspective. At what point do children become aware of themselves as differentiated and unique entities in the world? How and when do they become self-aware? In reality, there are five levels of self-awareness in children, from birth to around 4-5 years old.
The Stages of Self-Awareness Development:
Level 0 – Absence of Self-Awareness
Concerns newborn infants who are completely unaware of their reflection in the mirror. The reflection is perceived as an extension of the environment and is confused with the surrounding reality. Infants at this level show no conscious reaction to their own image.
Level 1 – Differentiation of Self-Produced Movements
Usually observed around 6 to 9 months of age, the individual starts recognizing a difference between movements reflected in the mirror and other movements in the environment. It marks an initial step in differentiation between the self and the rest of the world.
Level 2 – Exploration of Intermodal Link
Around 9 to 12 months of age, the individual progresses to actively exploring the link between movements seen in the mirror and movements felt. They develop a contemplative posture, demonstrating increased awareness of the interaction between their body and its reflection in the mirror.
Level 3 – Self-Recognition
Typically achieved at around one year of age, children begin to recognize the reflection as representing ‘themselves.’ Behaviors such as touching or trying to remove stickers placed on their face in the mirror indicate a growing awareness of their own identity.
Level 4 – Self-Identification Beyond the Present
Between 18 months and 2 years, children reach this level. It corresponds to the ability to identify their own image in photos and videos from the past. This indicates that self-awareness is no longer limited to temporal simultaneity and spatial coincidence but persists over time.
Level 5 – Recognition of an External Perspective
At 2 to 3 years of age, children start recognizing not only their own viewpoint but also consider how they are perceived by others. This is often manifested by behaviors of embarrassment or pride in front of the mirror, indicating a mental simulation of public scrutiny on the self.
Infants Show a Form of Consciousness and Memory as Early as 5 Months
In a recent study, French scientists monitored the brain activity of over 240 babies using electrodes. The results revealed bursts of consciousness and memory in babies as early as 5 months old.
For decades, neuroscientists have sought a clear signal of consciousness in brain electrical activity. This signal determines if minimally conscious or anesthetized adults are conscious and when consciousness begins in babies. Studies on adults have shown a particular pattern of brain activity in two stages. The question was whether such a pattern could be present in infants.
The team used electrode-equipped caps to monitor the brain activity of 80 babies aged 5, 12, or 15 months. Babies were exposed to a face image on a screen for a fraction of a second. Researcher Sid Kouider observed oscillations in the brain’s electrical activity, known as event-related potentials (ERPs), in the babies’ brains. Even 5-month-old babies showed a slow late wave, albeit weaker and more stretched out than in older infants.
This late slow wave could indicate conscious thought, suggesting that the image is briefly stored in the baby’s temporary ‘working memory.’ According to Kouider, consciousness is made up of this working memory.
While the results are promising, further research is needed to explore how these signals of consciousness are linked to learning, especially language development in babies.
Researchers acknowledge that comparing infants’ brain waves to those of adults is tricky. The components of event-related potentials (ERPs) change significantly during the early years of life.
