Cultural Variations in Children’s Mirror Self-Recognition

Bibliographic Data

ID7842875
AuthorsTanya Macgillivray (0000-0002-5937-5144, Emory University, corresponding author), Tanya Broesch, Tara Callaghan (St. Francis Xavier University), Tara C Callaghan (0000-0002-7040-2449, St. Francis Xavier University), J Henrich (0000-0002-5012-0065, University of British Columbia), Christine Murphy (Emory University), Philippe Rochat (0000-0001-6000-5979, Emory University)
Year2011
Volume42
Issue6
Pages1018-1029
Publication date2011-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0221 • E-ISSN: 1552-5422
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0022022110381114
OpenAlexW2157853464
LanguageEN
Citations received20
References cited32

Western children first show signs of mirror self-recognition (MSR) from 18 to 24 months of age, the benchmark index of emerging self-concept. Such signs include self-oriented behaviors while looking at the mirror to touch or remove a mark surreptitiously placed on the child’s face. The authors attempted to replicate this finding across cultures using a simplified version of the classic “mark test.” In Experiment 1, Kenyan children ( N = 82, 18 to 72 months old) display a pronounced absence of spontaneous self-oriented behaviors toward the mark. In Experiment 2, the authors tested children in Fiji, Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Peru ( N = 133, 36 to 55 months old), as well as children from urban United States and rural Canada. As expected from existing reports, a majority of the Canadian and American children demonstrate spontaneous self-oriented behaviors toward the mark. However, markedly fewer children from the non-Western rural sites demonstrate such behaviors. These results suggest that there are profound cross-cultural differences in the meaning of the MSR test, questioning the validity of the mark test as a universal index of self-concept in children’s development

Developmental psychology · Face (sociological concept · Index (typography · Kenya · Meaning (existential · Political science · Self · Sociology · Test (biology · Child and Animal Learning Development · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Representations and Identity

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub