The development of mirror self recognition (MSR) in different cultural environments

本研究旨在分析镜像自我识别（MSR）作为一种新兴的类别自我概念在不同社会文化环境中的发展。更具体地说，该研究分析了不同文化中MSR的发病和内在稳定性的相似性和差异。与我们以前的研究一致，我们假设MSR的发生受到幼儿社会化的发展小生境的环境因素的影响。在母亲认为有关自主性发展的社会化目标很重要的社会文化环境中长大的幼儿更早地发展MSR。此外，该研究重新考虑了两个因素，与文化的共同变化，这可能会损害跨文化的有效性MSR作为一个行为措施的分类自我概念。这些因素是对镜子的熟悉程度和特定文化的表达行为规范。交叉序贯研究设计使我们能够理清这些因素对MSR的具体影响。最后，本研究旨在分析跨时间和文化的特定互动行为（看，玩伴和实验行为）。为了回答这些问题，该研究分析了四组幼儿（第一次评估时为18、19、20和21个月）在四种文化环境中的发展（超过六周的MSR在7天的倒置中进行评估），这四种文化环境在社会文化取向方面存在差异（独立：柏林，德国;相互依赖：农村Nso和古吉拉特语以及自治相关：德里，印度）。

This study is aimed at analyzing the development of mirror self-recognition (MSR) as a measure of the emerging categorical self concept across socio-cultural environments. More specifically, the study analyzes the similarities and differences in the onset and intrapersonal stability of MSR across cultures. In line with our previous research, we hypothesize that the onset of MSR is influenced by environmental factors of the developmental niches in which toddlers are socialized. Toddlers that grow up in socio-cultural environments where mothers consider socialization goals concerning the development of autonomy important develop MSR earlier. Furthermore, the study reconsiders two factors that co-vary with culture and that might compromise the cross-cultural validity of MSR as a behavioral measure of a categorical self concept. These factors are the familiarity with mirrors and culture-specific norms of expressive behavior. The cross-sequential study design allows us to disentangle the specific influences of these factors on MSR. Finally, the study aims at analyzing specific interaction behaviors (looking, playmate and experimenting behavior) across time and culture. To answer these questions, the study analyzes the development (over six weeks MSR is assessed in 7-day-invervals) of four cohorts of toddlers (18, 19, 20, and 21 months at first assessment) in four cultural environments that differ with respect to their sociocultural orientation (independent: Berlin, Germany; interdependent: rural Nso and Gujarati and autonomous related: Delhi, India).