Julian Ocampo

C32 PERSEF1

What Is Self-Awareness?

"Self-awareness is a psychological state in which people are aware of their traits, feelings and
behaviour. Alternately, it can be defined as the realization of oneself as an individual entity."
(Crisp & Turner, 2010)

Self-awareness is "..a psychological state in which one takes oneself as an object of attention."
(Franzoi, 1996)
When Does Self-Awareness Emerge?
Lewis and Brooks-Gun (1979) conducted some interesting research on how self-awareness
develops. The researchers applied a red dot to an infant's nose and then held the child up to a
mirror. Children who recognize themselves in the mirror will reach for their own noses rather
than the reflection in the mirror, indicating that they have at least some self-awareness. Lewis
and Brooks-Gun found that almost no children under one year of age would reach for their own
nose rather than the reflection in the mirror. About 25 percent of the infants between 15 and 18
months reached for their own noses, while about 70 percent of those between 21 and 24 months
did so.
Powerful CAD/CAM solution with Mold Modeling & CNC Machining, Try Now!
It is important to note that the Lewis and Brooks-Gun study only indicates an infant's visual selfawareness; children might actually possess other forms of self-awareness even at this early point
in life. Researchers Lewis, Sullivan, Stanger, and Weiss (1989) suggest that the expression of
emotions involves self-awareness as well as an ability to think about oneself in relation to other
people.

How Does Self-Awareness Develop?

Researchers believe that an area of the brain known as the anterior cingulate, a region of the
frontal lobe, plays an important role in the development of self-awareness. The Lewis and
Brooks-Gun experiment indicates that self-awareness begins to emerge in children around the
age of 18 months, an age that coincides with the rapid growth of spindle cells in the anterior
cingulate. Researchers have also used brain imaging to show that this region becomes activated
in adults who are self-aware.
Types of Self-Awareness
Psychologists often break self-awareness down into two different types, either public or private.

Public Self-Awareness: This type emerges when people are aware of how they appear to others.
Public self-awareness often emerges in situations when people are at the center of attention, such as
when giving a presentation or talking to a group of friends. This type of self-awareness often compels
people to adhere to social norms. When we are aware that we are being watched and evaluated, we
often try to behave in ways that are socially acceptable and desirable. Public self-awareness can also
lead to evaluation anxiety in which people become distressed, anxious, or worried about how they are
perceived by others.

Private Self-Awareness: This type happens when people become aware of some aspects of
themselves, but only in a private way. For example, seeing your face in the mirror is a type of private
self-awareness. Feeling your stomach lurch when you realize you forgot to study for an important test
or feeling your heart flutter when you see someone you are attracted to are also good examples of
private self-awareness.

References:
Crisp, R. J. & Turner, R. N. (2010). Essential social psychology. London: Sage
Publications.
Froming, W.J., Corley, E.B., and Rinker, L. (1990). The influence of public self
consciousness, and the audience's characteristic on withdrawal from embarrassing
situations. Journal of Personality, 58,(4), 603-622.
Lewis, M. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1978). Self knowledge and emotional development. In M.
Lewis & L. Rosenblum (Eds.), The development of affect: The genesis of behavior, 1
(pp. 205-226). New York: Plenum Press.
Mullen, B. & Suls, J. (1982). Know thyself: Stressful life changes and the ameliorative
effect of private self-consciousness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 18, 4355.