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Social & Emotional Development
Developing Self-Awareness
Core Finding: SE-AWA-C02

A child’s ability to develop self-awareness is a key aspect of his/her ability to understand social situations, interact with others and learn from others.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-AWARENESS ON YOUNG CHILDREN’S SOCIAL INTERACTION AND LEARNING

Children’s ability to develop self-awareness is a key aspect of their ability to understand social situations, interact with and learn from others.

1, 2

  1. Rochat, P. (2001). Origins of self-concept. In Bremner, G. & Fogel, A. (Eds.), Handbooks of developmental psychology. Blackwell handbook of infant development (pp. 191-212). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

  2. Van Veluw, S.,J., & Chance, S. A. (2014). Differentiating between self and others: An ALE meta-analysis of fMRI studies of self-recognition and theory of mind. Brain Imaging and Behaviour, 8(1), 24-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-013-9266-8 (Level I)

Children’s ability to differentiate themselves from another person is an essential component that affects their ability to have quality interaction with others.

3, 4

  1. Brownell C. A., & Hazen N. (1999). Early peer interaction: A research agenda. Early Education and Development, 10(3), 403–413. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1003_9

  2. Eckerman, C. O., & Peterman, K. (2001). Peers and infant social/communicative development. In Bremner, G., & Fogel, A. (Eds.), Blackwell Handbook of infant development (pp. 326–350). Oxford: Blackwell. (Level III - Book) – UK.

The acquisition of foundational social skills comes from children’s awareness of themselves as separate entities from others. These foundational social skills include young children’s ability to imitate others,
5
  1. Asendorpf, J. B., & Baudonniere, P. (1993). Self-awareness and other-awareness: Mirror self-recognition and synchronic imitation among unfamiliar peers. Developmental Psychology, 29(1), 88–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.29.1.88
share attention with another person (joint attention), take the perspective of another person,
6
  1. Tomasello, M., Carpenter, M., Call, J., Behne, T. & Moll, H. (2005). Understanding and sharing intentions: The ontogeny and phylogeny of cultural cognition. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28(5), 675-691. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X05000129 (Level IV)
use social language like pronouns (for example, I, me, mine),
7
  1. Hay, D.F. (2006). Yours and mine: Toddlers' talk about possessions with familiar peers. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24, 39-52. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X68880 (Level IV)
comprehend social cues and problem-solve in social situations.
8
  1. Brownell, C. A., Ramani, G. B., & Zerwas, S. (2006). Becoming a social partner with peers: Cooperation and social understanding in one- and two-year-olds. Child Development, 77(4), 803–821. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00904.x
All of which are important skills for social interaction and learning from others.

Hence, children with better self-awareness manage their emotions and anxiety better and become more confident. This has long-term effects on their mental health even into their teen years and adulthood.

9
  1. Thomson, K. C., Richardson, C. G., Gadermann, A. M., Emerson, S. D., Shoveller, J., & Guhn, M. (2019). Association of Childhood Social-Emotional Functioning Profiles at School Entry With Early-Onset Mental Health Conditions. JAMA Network Open, 2(1), e186694. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6694

Studies have shown that children's ability to be self-aware and understand that others have internal mental states that guide behaviour (according to the

Theory of Mind

Children’s Theory of Mind - As children think more about themselves and others, they form the Theory of Mind – the psychological knowledge of self and understanding other people’s perceptions, feelings, desires, and beliefs.1

1. Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education.

) also impacts the development of their
executive function

Executive Function - The set of cognitive operations and strategies necessary for self-initiated, purposeful behaviour in relatively novel, challenging situations. These include controlling attention, suppressing impulses in favour of adaptive responses, coordinating information in working memory, and planning, organising, monitoring, and flexibility redirecting thought and behaviour.1

1. Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education.

abilities, such as the ability to plan, self-regulate and focus attention and consciously control one's thoughts and actions.
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  1. Wellman, H. M., Cross, D., & Watson, J. (2001). Meta-analysis of theory-of-mind development: the truth about false belief. Child Development, 72(3), 655–684. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00304

For example, a study of 43 children aged between three and four showed that there was a correlation between children’s executive functioning, especially the ability to inhibit one's thinking process and take another’s perspective (Theory of Mind). In order to develop inhibitory abilities, the child would have had to develop self-awareness and understand the impact of self on external circumstances (external self-awareness) in their earlier years.

11
  1. Carlson, S. M., Moses, L. J., & Breton, C. (2002). How specific is the relation between executive function and theory of mind? Contributions of inhibitory control and working memory. Infant and Child Development, 11(2), 73–92. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.298

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