The child first forms a concept of self in which stage?

• A. Toddler years
• B. Preschool period
• C. School age
• D. Infancy

Answer: (D)

Self-awareness begins in infancy. From birth, babies start to differentiate their own body and actions from the outside world and learn that they can influence objects and people around them. This early sense of “this is me” lays the foundation for a self-concept. By about 18 months, many children show self-recognition in a mirror and start using terms that point to themselves, signaling that they have begun to form a notion of self. As they grow into toddler and preschool years, this self-concept becomes more explicit and nuanced, but the first formation occurs during infancy.