PSYC 3520 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Wisdom, Sentience, Intersubjectivity
Document Summary
Philosophical/theoretical reflections: descartes a sense of self originates in the mind and therefore is innately given rather than a developing, or constructed ability, materialists and behavioural neuroscientists sense of self/mind is wholly physical (sensory) Perceptual vs conceptual awareness: perceptual self-awareness: visual/auditory awareness of the self; requires direct experience with environmental stimuli, conceptual self-awareness: representational/mental awareness of self; what does the baby know about the self in the absence of perceptual stimulation. Self-awareness either you know you"re distinct for the environment and believe others are too or you live in a world where experience belong to no-one and take you nowhere. Freudian explanation of onset of self: self is promoted by mother"s attention to every whim of baby. 10 months, caretaker begins delay gratification, this causes infants to become aware of difference between self/other. 18 months, they recognize self (wipe red dot off of face) however, remember that mirror studies like this only show awareness of perceptual qualities of the self.
