Investigations into the Human Self: A Naturalist Perspective

This article provides an overview of theory and research on the self from a naturalist perspective. That is, we conceptualize the human self in the same way as any other natural phenomenon, seeking to understand its structure, ontogeny, evolutionary origins, and underlying neural, cognitive, and affective mechanisms. Each section addresses a fundamental question about the nature and functioning of the human self: What is the self? How many selves do humans have? When does the self emerge? Do humans have accurate self-representations? Where is the self in the brain? How does emotion shape the self? And what are the adaptive functions of the self? For each question, we review relevant theory and research, with an emphasis on individual-differences in self-related processes.