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ow does a child’s “self-concept” develop before the age of 3? Understand the "I" in their hearts
In a child's journey of growth, self-concept is like a seed that gradually sprouts over time. Self-concept refers to a person's identification of his or her own traits, abilities, and values, and this process is particularly critical in a child's early life, especially before they are 3 years old.
Research shows that a child's self-concept affects not only their emotional development, but also how they interact with the world around them.
Establishment of dependency relationship
The formation of self-concept begins with emotional connections with significant others, a process that is particularly critical in the early years after birth. An attachment relationship is a deep emotional connection between a child and their primary caregiver. Research by famous psychologists John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth points out that there are four stages in the formation of attachment, including indifferent social response, preferred social response, secure base behavior of attachment and partnership.
In these attachment relationships, children learn trust and security, which are critical to their later social-emotional development. A secure attachment, such as a secure attachment, allows children to feel more confident as they explore the world and have emotional support when they need it.
Securely attached children are often more socially confident and can adapt to new situations more easily.
Preliminary Exploration of Emotional Experience
During the early years of life, children begin to interact with the world in an emotional way. According to research, from birth, babies are able to respond to unpleasant stimuli with displays such as crying and smiling. As children grow older, they learn to express different emotions and recognize emotions in others.
For example, around 6 months old, children begin to display more pronounced emotional responses, with an initial ability to recognize both positive and negative interactions. At this time, children begin to understand basic emotions and establish a preliminary understanding of themselves.
Understanding others and social interactions
Social referencing is an important skill that children learn between 8 and 10 months of age. By observing the reactions of their primary caregivers, children are able to learn about danger or safety in their surroundings. In the classic visual cliff experiment, children use their caregiver’s facial expressions to decide whether to cross a suspicious area.
This social referencing ability not only promotes children's understanding of emotions, but also helps them understand the thoughts and feelings of others.
The Beginning of Self-Awareness
Around 18 to 24 months of age, children begin to develop a sense of self, which causes them to begin to experience self-conscious emotions, such as shame and pride. During this period, they are able to think about the relationship between their behavior and the evaluations of others and respond accordingly.
For example, when children feel wonder or shyness after doing something, they begin to realize how these feelings are influenced by their behavior and the expectations of others.
The development of social interaction
Between 3 and 6 months, children gradually learn to engage in simple social interactions, communicating back and forth with their caregivers through communication such as smiles and grunts. This communication is the cornerstone of children's relationships with others, and as they get older, their interactions become richer.
Cooperative games and role-playing games began to appear during this phase. These games are not only pure entertainment, they are also an important platform for children to learn how to interact with others and how to deal with social emotions.
Through role-playing, children can practice social skills such as conflict resolution, negotiation, and cooperation.
In summary, children under the age of 3 are in a critical period of self-concept development. They gradually build up their understanding and cognition of themselves through interactions with caregivers, emotional expressions, social references, and role-playing. As each step in this process is so important, it may make people think deeply: What other key factors affect the formation of our self-concept during our growth?
