8.3: Reading-Mirror Stage
- Page ID
- 309992
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)3.1.3.1. Exercise 2-Reading Comprehension
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
1“Mirror stage” refers to the point in time when infants and toddlers start recognizing their reflections in the mirror. Research has shown that, although babies are fascinated with images of themselves and others in mirrors from a very early stage, they do not begin to recognize that the images in the mirror are reflections of their own bodies until the age of about 15 to 18 months. In psychology, there has been a debate about the mirror stage’s importance in identity formation.
2In 1936, psychologist Jacques Lacan proposed that the mirror stage was part of an infant’s development from 6 to 18 months. By the early 1950s, Lacan’s concept of the mirror stage had changed slightly; he no longer considered the mirror stage as a moment in the life of the infant, but as representing a permanent structure of identity. Lacan felt that understanding and processing one’s reflection was a key part in the development of identity.
3In 1953, Lacan wrote, “The mirror stage is a phenomenon to which I assign [two values]. In the first place, it has historical value as it marks a decisive turning point in the mental development of the child.” In the second place, he claimed, it represents an essential connection between the person and his or her concept of identity.
4Lacan’s concept of the mirror stage was strongly inspired by earlier work by psychologist Henri Wallon. Wallon noted that by the age of about six months, human infants and chimpanzees both seem to recognize their reflection in a mirror. While chimpanzees rapidly lose interest in the discovery, human infants typically become very interested and devote much time and effort to exploring the connections between their bodies and their images.
5Many other psychologists disagreed with the notion that recognizing and processing one’s reflection in the mirror was a key component in identity development. In 1988, Raymond Tallis wrote a paper claiming that the theory was inaccurate because it would mean that people who were blind from birth would lack selfhood and be unable to contribute to society. In 1996, Dylan Evans claimed that while Lacan’s theory that mirrors were key to forming identity was important, it had become so abstract by the 1950s that it was untestable.
- PART A: Which of the following statements best summarizes a central idea of the text?
a. The human brain is wired to recognize faces everywhere, even in inanimate objects.
b. Recognizing one’s own face, as well as the faces of others, is crucial to forming a healthy identity.
c. Mirror stage describes the period in which infants begin recognizing their reflection, though its significance in identity development has been debated.
d. Mirror stage is the phenomenon in which two or more close individuals subconsciously mimic each other’s expressions, actions, and/or gestures.
- PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
a. “…children are fascinated with images of themselves and others in mirrors….” (Paragraph 1)
b. “The ‘mirror stage’ refers to the point in time when infants and toddlers start recognizing their reflections in the mirror…. In psychology, there has been a debate about the mirror stage’s importance in identity formation.” (Paragraph 1)
c. “Lacan felt that understanding and processing one’s reflection was a key part in the development of identity.” (Paragraph 2)
d. “…human infants typically become very interested and devote much time and effort to exploring the connections between their bodies and their images.” (Paragraph 4)
- Which of the following best describes the evolution of Jacques Lacan’s concept of the mirror stage?
a. Lacan changes the ages of the infantile mirror stage from 15-18 months to 6-18 months, allowing for a larger age range when babies can recognize their reflections.
b. Lacan calls the mirror stage as a phenomenon but later labels it as a general part of normal human (and chimpanzee) development.
c. Lacan’s theory becomes more abstract, the concept taking on a more philosophical tone than a scientific one.
d. Lacan alters his concept so that it is not considered just a small period of an infant’s life, but an essential and lasting element of a person’s identity.
“Mirror Stage” by CommonLit Staff is licensed by CommonLit under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0