Which age is listed as the earliest for self-awareness in infancy according to the material?

• A. Self-awareness
• B. Object permanence
• C. Social smiling
• D. Attachment security

Answer: (A)

Self-awareness in infancy is the moment a child begins to recognize themselves as a distinct person. The material places this recognition around 18 months, evidenced by mirror self-recognition tasks where a child notices a mark on their own face in a mirror. This milestone comes after other early developments: social smiling appears much earlier, around a couple of months as a sign of social engagement; object permanence develops around 6–9 months, showing that objects still exist when not seen; attachment security forms within the first year as the child bonds with caregivers. Because self-awareness marks a specific, identifiable milestone that typically appears around 18 months, that is the earliest time associated with this capability in infancy. The other options describe earlier skills, not the onset of self-awareness.