The implicit self in infancy

Kollakowski, Nina-Alisa (2024): The implicit self in infancy: when, how, and why?. Dissertation, LMU München: Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN)

Abstract

The nature of the self has been a topic of extensive debate. Current approaches divide the self into two aspects — the explicit self, which is based on reflection, and the implicit self, which is embedded in experience. There is no consensus on what the implicit self in infancy is nor on when or how it develops. This thesis addresses these issues. Chapter 2 analyzes current theories on the implicit self in infancy, highlighting metatheoretical influences and advocating for enhanced conceptual precision. In Chapter 3 a novel paradigm is employed to explore the presence of a sense of agency, a proposed aspect of the implicit self, in 9-month-old infants. The study does not provide evidence for the existence of a sense of agency at this age. Chapter 4 examines the ontogenetic origins of the implicit self to contribute to the ongoing theoretical discourse on whether the self is inherently social. The results indicate that attributes of mother-infant interaction influence measures of the implicit self during infancy. Integrating these investigations, the present thesis concludes that there is insufficient evidence to posit the existence of an implicit self in infancy. The self may rather be considered a linguistic and social construct. The idea of an "implicit self" during infancy may be construed as a categorization of perceptual information, that has not yet been linked to the self. This thesis highlights the influence of social interactions on this categorization process, and proposes its continued development beyond the first 9 months of life.

• Dokumententyp: Dissertationen (Dissertation, LMU München)
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik ; 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 570 Biowissenschaften, Biologie
• Fakultäten: Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN)
• Sprache der Hochschulschrift: Englisch
• Datum der mündlichen Prüfung: 23. Juli 2024
• 1. Bericht­erstatter:in: Paulus, Markus