Do infants use their own images to locate objects reflected in a mirror?

The ability of infants to locate a toy from a mirror reflection was investigated in 3 experiments. In the first, it was found that a minority of 22-month-old infants turned to locate the toy that was the source of the reflection, and that localization of the toy occurred regardless of whether the infants' own image was visible in the mirror. The results of 2 further experiments indicated that younger infants aged 14 and 18 months rarely use mirror information to locate a toy. When they do so, they also turn whether or not images of themselves are visible. It is concluded that tasks involving the localization of objects or events from mirror images are not direct indices of self-recognition. Rather, they indicate the skill of infants in using the mirror as a perceptual tool.

[1]  K. Loveland.  Behavior of young children with Down syndrome before the mirror: finding things reflected. , 1987, Child development.

[2]  M. Chapman.  A Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Representation in Symbolic Play, Self-recognition, and Object Permanence during the Second Year , 1987 .

[3]  K. Loveland.  Behavior of young children with Down syndrome before the mirror: exploration. , 1987, Child development.

[4]  J. Plunkett,et al.  Affective expression among preterm infants of varying levels of biological risk , 1987 .

[5]  Aileen B. Sedman,et al.  A longitudinal study , 1987 .

[6]  B. Priel,et al.  Self-recognition: a study of a population without mirrors. , 1986, Journal of experimental child psychology.

[7]  K. Loveland.  Discovering the affordances of a reflecting surface , 1986 .

[8]  J. Anderson,et al.  The development of self-recognition: a review. , 1984, Developmental psychobiology.

[9]  Daniel B. Johnson.  Self-recognition in infants* , 1983 .

[10]  T. G. Décarie,et al.  Image spéculaire et genèse de la reconnaissance de soi ; une analyse hiérarchique , 1983 .

[11]  A. Bigelow,et al.  The correspondence between self- and image movement as a cue to self-recognition for young children. , 1981, The Journal of genetic psychology.

[12]  G. Butterworth,et al.  Towards a Mechanism of Joint Visual Attention in Human Infancy , 1980 .

[13]  Susan M. Widmayer,et al.  Developmental follow-up of infants delivered by Caesarean section and general anesthesia , 1980 .

[14]  Bennett I. Bertenthal,et al.  Development of Self-Recognition in the Infant. , 1978 .

[15]  G. Gallup,et al.  Preference for mirror-image stimulation in differentially reared rhesus monkeys. , 1971 .

[16]  Gordon G. Gallup,et al.  Capacity for Self-Recognition in Differentially Reared Chimpanzees , 1971 .

[17]  J. C. Dixon.  Development of self recognition. , 1957, The Journal of genetic psychology.

[18]  C. Bühler,et al.  The first year of life , 1932 .

[19]  M. O'shea.  First Steps in Mental Growth. , 1906 .