2 PERCEPTUALLY GIVEN ASPECTS OF THE SELF AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT

In this paper the conception of self as a single entity with a single course of development is rejected. Instead, it is argued that there are many sources of self-knowledge, each giving rise to a different aspect of the self with a different developmental history. Two early emerging aspects of the self are discussed in this paper: the ecological self and the interpersonal self. These are distinguished from the conceptual self, based on mental representations, that has been the traditional focus of research. Following from ecologically oriented cognitive psychology, it is argued that knowledge begins with perception rather than with representation. In this view, the ecological and interpersonal aspects of self are directly specified to the young infant by the coperception of environment and self that occurs with activity in the environment. Research that focuses on the ecological self, including perceived location, global motion of self, and other aspects of ongoing relationships with the local physical environment, is summarized. The interpersonal self derives from perception of information produced by the perceiver's responses that invite continued participation and mutuality with others. Research that focuses on infants' behavior in social interaction and their responses to visual and auditory information that specifies interaction is summarized. © 1991.