4.5e Summary of the Development of the Self
Table 4.1 provides a summary of the theories that provide explanations of the development of the self. Overall, the self develops through interaction with others. It includes a person’s internal experiences and self-perception and leads to the development of their identity.
Table 4.1
Theories on the Development of the Self
| Theorist | Theory | The Development of the Self |
| George Herbert Mead | Role-Taking Theory | Occurs by learning to understand the perspectives of generalized others through stages during childhood development |
| Charles Horton Cooley | Looking-Glass Self | Is based on how a person imagines others perceive them |
| W. E. B. Du Bois | Double Consciousness | Becomes a sense of twoness that Black people in the United States due to inaccurate perceptions by the dominant group and more accurate perceptions by other Black people |
| Erving Goffman | Impression Management | Is the process by which individuals select the aspects of their self they share to manage other’s perceptions of them, thereby affirming their self |
By author.