STAGES OR LAYERS? LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

Tanya Maria GeritsidouThe American College of Greece

OUTLINE Definitions of the Self The Self in Cognitive-Developmental

Theories The Rouge Test The Awareness of Self Developmental Approaches: Stage Theory Developmental Approaches: Layers Theory Looking at Six Interviews about the Self References

WHAT IS THE SELF? Model of the Self derived by William

James “Me” : Involves relatively objective

material, social and spiritual characteristics (social and material self)

“I”: Involves subjective experiential features such as

Life history and experience Continuation over time Pure ego

WHAT IS THE SELF? Concepts of the Self by Winnicott

True Self The experience of being alive (simply being) Spontaneous, non-verbal gestures

False Self Other people’s expectations overriding the True

Self Behaviors and relationships that lack

spontaneity and sincerity that the True Self does

THE SELF IN COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIESCognitive-developmental theories focus

on the quality, rate and general manner of change in the thinking processes of human beings.

How human beings develop self-awareness and self-concept(s) is studied through either stage theories, such as Piaget’s, or (rather recently) layer theories (such as Rochat’s).

THE ROUGE TESTAlso called “the mirror mark test”, it is

used to determine when infants have developed self awareness:

(it is more fun to watch)https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2I0kwSua44

SELF AWARENESS VS SELF CONSCIOUSNESS

SELF AWARENESS

When the individual can examine him/herself from the point of view of someone other than him/herself

SELF CONSCIOUSNESS

Can only occur after achieving self awareness

Involves all understanding about the self and is the basis for identity development

STAGE THEORIES Stage theories assume that

development occurs in a mostly linear progression.

Each stage has to be completed before the person is ready to proceed to the next one.Piaget’s Theory

OfCognitive

Development

Damon & Hart’sModel of

Self Understanding with 7 schemes

Allport’s 8 StagesOf

Self -Development

PIAGET’S STAGE THEORY AND THE SELF Sensorimotor Stage (0–2 yrs old)

No self-awareness until object permanence begins (12 m/o)

Preoperational Stage (2–6/7 yrs old) Self-awareness + object permanence =

egocentrism Concrete Operations Stage (6/7–11/12 yrs old)

Self-awareness and Self-consciousness Formal Operations Stage (11/12 + yrs old)

Self-awareness and self-consciousness with more abstract thought and ideas and categorizations involved

DAMON & HART’S 7 SCHEMES OF SELF UNDERSTANDING

4 Levels L1: Categorical

identifications (early childhood)

L2: Comparative Assessments (middle to late childhood)

L3: Interpersonal Implications of the self (early adolescence)

L4: Systematic beliefs, principles and plans (late adolescensce +)

7 Schemes

Physical self Active self Social self Psychological self

Continuity of self Distinctness of self Agency of self

ALLPORT’S EIGHT STAGES OF SELF DEVELOPMENT

Sense of Bodily Self (0-2 yrs old) Bodily sensations and physical senses as the beginning of self awareness

Sense of Self Identity (0-2 yrs old) Acquisition of self awareness in parallel with the acquisition of language

Sense of Self Esteem or Pride (2-4 yrs old) Beginnings of need for praise and credit and self evaluation

Sense of Self Extension (4-6 yrs old) Beginnings of identifying with other individuals, groups and items than the self

proper/ the body

ALLPORT’S EIGHT STAGES OF SELF DEVELOPMENT

Self Image (4-6 yrs old) Beginnings of the “looking glass self” and other aspects of identity, such as sexual

identity and social identity

Sense of Self as a Rational Coper (6-12 yrs old) Beginnings of awareness of life’s problem solving and coping strategies

Propriate Striving (12+ yrs old) Life goal setting and aspirations/expectations begin

Self as a Knower (12+ yrs old) Moral thinking, political thinking and abstract problem solving

ROCHAT’S LAYER THEORY OF THE SELF From a biologically given core, layers of

awareness are added in a cumulative fashion

Each layer expands the experiential range of the child

No equilibration takes place, no restructuring or change of pre-existing layers with the development of a new one

Each layer adds on to whatever already exists

ROCHAT’S LAYER THEORY OF THE SELF A new layer adds new pathways to navigate

and experience the self and the experience of the self

Each layer becomes a zone of awareness. We navigate between layers depending on our state of mind and focus (attention), throughout our life (even the before the Rouge Test layers!)

Our attention/ focus to each layer depends on our state of consciousness (poly-awareness)

ROCHAT’S LAYER THEORY OF THE SELF1. Starting state (differentiating the self from the world

via rooting) birth+2. Situated self awareness (capable of mapping own

body space) 2 m/o+3. Birth of “Me” (perception of self via actions, since birth

and via Rouge Test at 2 yrs+)4. Birth of “Me” extending over time (recognizing self as

enduring over time, rather than a third party) 3 yrs+5. Meta-cognitive Self knowledge (hold multiple

representations and perspectives on objects and people) 6 yrs+

DETECTING SELF-AWARENESSLooking at 6 interviews about the self

MARY, AGE 5 Upon being asked if she wanted to

describe herself, she said ‘no’ after a bit of thought.

Upon being asked if she wanted to draw herself, she said ‘yes’ and produced two versions of herself, one naked and one with clothes:

MARY, AGE 5

MARY, AGE 5 She described herself by physical

characteristics. She couldn’t describe her personality with

character traits. She characteristically said that she chose her friend because she’s “cute” and that her friend likes her because she is “tall”

Ideal self would be “a princess” because she would have long hair and glossy dresses and no mother

MARY, AGE 5 Likes and dislikes about herself were described

only in terms of activities: “I can swim fast” “my mom doesn’t let me swim in the sea at winter”

She expected herself to change in 5 years because “I will be 6 years old then and I’ll be able to read”

But she said her self wouldn’t change because she had a name and her name was Mary

She became who she was because her dad picked the name Mary for her

MARY, AGE 5Stage Theory

Piaget: Self awareness, egocentrism, Self permanence

Damon & Hart: Categorical Identifications

Allport: Pride, Self Image (‘looking glass self’)

Layer Theory Birth of “Me”

(perception of self via actions)

Birth of “Me” extending over time (perception that the self endures over time)

Awareness Co-awareness

BOB, AGE 6 Wanted to talk rather than draw, described himself in

terms of physical characteristics and what clothes he was wearing

Described his personality as “polite” and “sad when kids make fun of me” but kept reverting to physical characteristics

When asked how I would be able to tell him apart from an identically looking boy, he answered “I would wear different clothes”

When asked how I would be able to tell him apart from an identically looking boy with identical clothes he was stuck, and finally answered “maybe my bones would be different?” (he added “mine would be striped”)

BOB, AGE 6 He kept thinking of himself in

physical/categorical terms (wanting to change his eye colour, being proud of his clothing)

When asked if he would have changed in 5 years, he answered “no because I haven’t changed now either”

When asked how he became who he is, he also answered “I was baptized and became Bob.”

BOB, AGE 6Stage Theory

Piaget: Self awareness, self permanence, some egocentrism

Damon & Hart: Categorical Identifications

Allport: Pride, Self Image

Layer Theory Birth of “Me”

extending over time Awareness Co-awareness Some not yet

articulable self knowledge

PEPI, AGE 9 Described herself in physical terms Described her personality as “sensitive, I laugh

easily, I can wait for something if I have to” but after saying ‘I don’t know’ a lot and needing to be encouraged that she can’t make a mistake

She voiced wishing to be able to perform better She expressed pride at being able to draw well She wants to become a fashion designer and

painter

PEPI, AGE 9 She wished for everyone to be happy She wished to not fight with her sister She wished to have met her grandfather She expected her self to have changed in

5 years because she “would be older” but said her personality and physical characteristics would be the same

She said she became who she is because “that’s how I was brought up”

PEPI, AGE 9Stage Theory

Piaget: Self awareness and Self consciousness and some abstract thinking of values and situations

Damon & Hart: Comparative Assessments and Interpersonal implications of the Self

Allport: Self Image and Rational Coping

Layer Theory

Meta cognitive Self Knowledge

MONA, AGE 11 She asked for qualifiers for the questions

before answering Didn’t describe herself in physical terms, but

in terms of preference: “I like sports, music and drawing”

She wished to be more popular and smarter Her ideal self would be good at sports,

drawing and music, and she identified these as her goals too

MONA, AGE 11 Her wishes were about belonging and

acceptance by her parents and her peers, and finding friendship

She expects herself to change, but only in terms of behavior due to different friends and places. She expects her personality and thoughts to remain the same

She became who she is by correcting things she did wrong or ‘too much

MONA, AGE 11 Piaget: Formal Operations (self

awareness and consciousness with abstract ideas about the world and her peers)

Damon & Hart: Interpersonal Implications of the Self

Allport: Rational Coping Self

ANNA, AGE 15 Described herself only in terms of

character traits and goal orientation Described herself in terms of her flaws

and her preferred hobbies, and specified herself as “a good person”

Voiced some dissatisfaction with her physical appearance

Wished to be loved by everyone, to be adored and be very happy

ANNA, AGE 15 Specified goals: to pursue a degree (be a doctor or a

psychologist), to find the perfect man and “be at the top tier of society in order to help people”

Wished for her family not to have quarrels, for the people of the world to be happy and not wish for anything

Voiced pride for managing to lose 15 kilos and become “thin for my height” 6 months ago

She expected to change for the better because she will be “adult and independent” and “able to control how to live my life,” but her personality would remain the same

She became who she is because “that’s how I was born”

ANNA, AGE 15 Piaget: Formal Operations (abstract

thoughts and ideas about the self) Damon & Hart: Systematic beliefs,

Principles and Plans Allport: Propriate Striving & Self as

Knower

SOPHIE, AGE 60 Described herself with some character traits but

mostly in relation to her goals and role in society Didn’t voice a wish for change of self, but

change of her environment Her ideal self and goal is “to approximate the

perfect human being” and when asked how that is, said “like Jesus Christ” and elaborated “fully free from material and social handicaps, attuned with nature, attuned with people, fully in control of himself”

SOPHIE, AGE 60 Character flaws were always in relation to how efficiently

she estimates she can reach her goal (“I haven’t thrown off all dependencies with others/society yet”)

Wishes were solely to achieve that goal and “help people be free from social systems that keep them on the basest levels of Maslow’s pyramid”

Pride was in relation to her progress towards her goal Expected to be different in the future “because I’ll be

more evolved” She became who she is “because I always had these

goals, of course not so well defined, but felt them push me”

SOPHIE, AGE 60 Piaget: Formal Operations (abstract

thoughts and ideas about the self) Damon & Hart: Systematic Beliefs,

Principles and Plans Allport: Propriate Striving and Self as

Knower

WHAT THIS EXERCISE TAUGHT ME:Development of the concept of self is dynamic and ever changing

as the person interacts with the environment and the results of his/her own cognitions.

To limit ourselves in any one theory, is to blind ourselves to aspects of the Self itself, and its development across the ages

within the human lifespan.

Thank you for your attention!

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