Looking-glass self

The term Looking- glass self or mirror -image effect ( also known as a looking glass effect) describes the self-concept as an evolving sequence of perceived impressions and reviews social interaction. The term was introduced in 1902 by Charles Cooley.

The three elements of

Cooley postulated three basic elements which in their totality and interaction to the formation of one's identity experienced:

The person acts and white ( assumes ) that is observed here:

• As it is seen by other people / experienced
• How they will be assessed by these other people then
• What kind of feelings they experienced due to this Review

It is not about real evaluation by significant others, but about what the individual thinks about it ( everything is subject to interpretation by the individual).

According to Cooley In this way, each to the other, a mirror.

Assessment

This early approach in sociology explains the development of identity as a result of social interaction and is thus the precursor of approaches of symbolic interactionism. Attempts in recent times to underpin this approach empirically find evidence for the influence of other people on the identity development (especially if those other people have a high social status ). In Gregg Henriques ' Tree of Knowledge System, which assumes that the justification of one's actions towards other leads to the formation of the self, there is a modern successor of the looking glass effect.