The Intersubjective Mirror in Infant Learning and Evolution of Speech
Author
The Intersubjective Mirror in Infant Learning and Evolution of Speech illustrates how recent findings about primary intersubjectivity, participant perception and mirror neurons afford a new understanding of children’s nature, dialogue and language.
Based on recent infancy research and the mirror neurons discovery, studies of early speech perception, comparative primate studies and computer simulations of language evolution, this book offers replies to questions as: When and how may spoken language have emerged? How is it that infants so soon after birth become so efficient in their speech perception? What enables 11-month-olds to afford and reciprocate care? What are the steps from infant imitation and simulation of body movements to simulation of mind in conversation partners?
Stein Bråten is founder and chair of the Theory Forum network with some of the world’s leading infancy, primate and brain researchers who have contributed to his edited volumes for Cambridge University Press (1998) and John Benjamins Publishing Company (2007). (Series B)
[Advances in Consciousness Research, 76] 2009. xxii, 351 pp.
Publishing status: Available
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Table of Contents
-
List of illustrations | pp. ix–x
-
List of tables | p. xi
-
Preface (with acknowledgments) | pp. xiii–xxii
-
Part I. Background for questions and findings inviting a paradigm shift
-
Chapter 1 From the last century history of ideas on children’s nature and intersubjectivity | pp. 3–28
-
Chapter 2 Recent related findings making a difference: Mirror neurons and participant perception | pp. 29–56
-
Chapter 3 Introduction to child’s steps to speech in ontogeny and questions about cultural evolution | pp. 57–88
-
Part II. On the origin of (pre)speech and efficient infant learners
-
Chapter 4 On language evolution and imitative learning: What can computer simulations tell us? | pp. 89–118
-
Chapter 5 On cultural evolution of mother-centred learning: Comparing humans and chimpanzees | pp. 119–146
-
Chapter 6 On prosocial behaviour in adult apes and young children: Roots of genuine altruism? | pp. 147–162
-
Part III. Intersubjective steps to speech and mind-reading in ontogeny
-
Chapter 7 From newborns’ imitation: On primary intersubjectivity and perturbations | pp. 163–188
-
Chapter 8 From object-oriented joint attention and other-centred infant learning | pp. 189–208
-
Chapter 9 On children in conversation and in self-dialogue | pp. 209–244
-
Chapter 10 When conversation partners become virtual co-authors of what the other is saying | pp. 245–270
-
Chapter 11 When the intersubjective mirror has been biologically broken: The autistic spectrum | pp. 271–288
-
Chapter 12 The intersubjective steps in retrospect and guidance, and prospects for further research | pp. 289–304
-
Glossary | pp. 305–308
-
-
Author index | pp. 337–342
-
Subject index | pp. 343–352
“Stein Bråten recounts a startling idea that has become an inspiring theory of how we know one another and speak. When studying simulations of language, it came to him that several people discussing a problem could only communicate if each could somehow 'be' the other, participating in their experience as a 'virtual other'. A lifetime later, with original photographs and drawings showing his children and grandchildren 'being other people', and after hours comparing very young chimpanzees' 'mother-centered learning' in a Norwegian zoo, he develops his theory, now given powerful support from the neuroscience of how intentions pass immediately between brains. He gives us a masterly review of a revolution in the philosophy of personhood, of discoveries in infant imitation, of research on language as culture, on the nature of sympathy, altruism and alienation, and of the detachment of self and other in autism. This book has important implications for education, therapy and other fields of practice and research.”
Colwyn Trevarthen, University of Edinburgh
“In one of the most detailed and erudite treatises today, Stein Bråten explains how we relate to each other driven by evolutionarily ancient impulses. Instead of the traditional focus on human intelligence, Stein Bråten stresses the body and how it is moved by other bodies. A very compelling account of how we came to be such incredibly social primates.”
Frans de Waal, Emory University, Author of 'The Age of Empathy' (Harmony, 2009).
“Stein Bråten's last book provides an incredibly rich and original perspective on the evolution and development of infants' (pre)verbal intersubjectivity. Bråten beautifully masters the most relevant literature in Philosophy, Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience and Computer Science guiding the reader in a fascinating journey. A must read for everyone interested to learn how the human mind develops.”
Vittorio Gallese, University of Parma
“In his insightful analysis of the history of child development, Stein Bråten identifies a major choice-point in the 1920s: was the child to be thought of as naturally social, born with others in mind, or as naturally egocentric? Given the potent influence of Freud and Piaget, it was the egocentric child that dominated research for many decades. Increasingly, however, research in child psychology, in neuroscience and in comparative primatology, has underlined the early attunement that the human infant displays towards the gestures and actions of other people. Stein Bråten offers a wide-ranging analysis of these convergent research findings and uses them to offer a fresh analysis of the course of social development in the child.”
Paul Harris,
Harvard University, School of Education
Cited by
Cited by 62 other publications
Aambø, Arild
2014. «One Heart, Many Hands» – Reflections on diversity, relationships, and expanding conversations. Opening plenary at the Conference on Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Toronto 8–9th of November 2013. Fokus på familien 42:1 ► pp. 49 ff. 
Alder, Marie-Luise, Eva-Lotta Brakemeier, Michael Dittmann, Florian Dreyer & Michael B. Buchholz
2016. Fehlleistungen als Empathie-Chance – die Gegenläufigkeit von „Projekten“ der Patientin und der Therapeutin. Psychotherapie Forum 21:1 ► pp. 2 ff.
B. Buchholtz, Michael, Jane Spiekermann & Horst Kächele
2015. Rhythm and blues – Amalie's 152nd session: From psychoanalysis to conversation and metaphor analysis – and back again. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 96:3 ► pp. 877 ff.
Baerheim, Anders, Elin E Ødegaard & Ingunn Johanne Ness
2023. Team reflexivity and the shared mind in interprofessional learning. Policy Futures in Education 21:2 ► pp. 157 ff.
Barth, Daniel
2016. Texte zur psychoanalytischen Theorie in der Rubrik Kurzberichte. Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 342 ff.
Black, Steven P.
2014. The intersubjective space–time of a Zulu choir/HIV support group in global perspective. Social Semiotics 24:4 ► pp. 381 ff.
Black, Steven P.
2018. The Ethics and Aesthetics of Care. Annual Review of Anthropology 47:1 ► pp. 79 ff.
Bohleber, Werner
2013. The concept of intersubjectivity in psychoanalysis: Taking critical stock. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 94:4 ► pp. 799 ff.
Borens, Raymond
2016. Glanz und Elend der Sprache. Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 305 ff.
Borgen, Berit
2013. Transformational turning points in the process of liberation. Mental Health, Religion & Culture 16:5 ► pp. 463 ff.
Broström, Stig & Ole Henrik Hansen
2010. Care and Education in the Danish Crèche. International Journal of Early Childhood 42:2 ► pp. 87 ff.
Buchholz, M., V.A. Agarkov & H. Kächele
2017. Applying The Conversational Analysis Strategies To Psychoanalytic Process Research. Rhythm And Blues: 152nd Session With Amalia (Part 1). Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy 25:3 ► pp. 76 ff.
Buchholz, Michael B.
2014. Patterns of empathy as embodied practice in clinical conversation—a musical dimension. Frontiers in Psychology 5
Buchholz, Michael B.
2016. Psychoanalyse, Sozialwissenschaft und Linguistik. In Austauschprozesse: Psychoanalyse und andere Humanwissenschaften, ► pp. 252 ff.
Carretero, Soledad, Silvia Español, Fernando G. Rodríguez & Favio Shifres
2022. Infant-Directed Improvised Performances, Protoconversations, and Action Songs During the First Year of Life. In Moving and Interacting in Infancy and Early Childhood, ► pp. 57 ff.
Cely Ávila, Flor Emilce
2017. El Yo como Construcción Intersubjetiva: lo que Enseña la Esquizofrenia. Revista Colombiana de Psicología 26:2 ► pp. 207 ff.
D. Chorna, Olena, Ellyn L. Hamm, Hemang Shrivastava & Nathalie L. Maitre
2018. Feasibility of event-related potential (ERP) biomarker use to study effects of mother’s voice exposure on speech sound differentiation of preterm infants. Developmental Neuropsychology 43:2 ► pp. 123 ff.
Delafield-Butt, Jonathan
2021. Agency and Choice in Evolution. Biosemiotics 14:1 ► pp. 79 ff.
Delafield-Butt, Jonathan T. & Colwyn Trevarthen
2015. The ontogenesis of narrative: from moving to meaning. Frontiers in Psychology 6
Frønes, Ivar
2011. Født sånn eller blitt sånn? Sosiologi, biologi og forståelsen av den sosiale handling. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning 52:3 ► pp. 355 ff.
Frønes, Ivar
2016. Socialization as Biological-Social Interaction. In The Autonomous Child [SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research, ], ► pp. 79 ff.
Frønes, Ivar
2016. What Is Socialization. In The Autonomous Child [SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research, ], ► pp. 1 ff.
Frønes, Ivar
2016. Genetikk, mening og den sosiale handling. Sosiologisk tidsskrift 24:4 ► pp. 349 ff.
Gabriel, Norman
2021. Beyond ‘developmentalism’: A relational and embodied approach to young children's development. Children & Society 35:1 ► pp. 48 ff.
Gahrn-Andersen, Rasmus
2019. But language too is material!. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 18:1 ► pp. 169 ff.
Galanaki, Evangelia
2023. Loneliness and intersubjectivity: A view from Trevarthen's theory. Frontiers in Psychology 14
Hardtmann, Gertrud
2016. Rezension: Müller Christa, Schatten des Schweigens, Notwendigkeit des Erinnerns<br>Kindheiten im Nationalsozialismus, im Zweiten Weltkrieg und in der Nachkriegszeit. Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 356 ff.
Hodges, Bert H.
2014. Rethinking conformity and imitation: divergence, convergence, and social understanding. Frontiers in Psychology 5
Hodges, Bert H.
2017. Carrying, caring, and conversing. Interaction Studies. Social Behaviour and Communication in Biological and Artificial Systems 18:1 ► pp. 26 ff.
Hurlburt, Russell T. & Susan A. J. Stuart
2014. GROUNDING THE SCIENCE OF INNER EXPERIENCE IN THE APPREHENSION OF PHENOMENA. The American Journal of Psychology 127:2 ► pp. 253 ff.
Jensen, Anders Skriver, Stig Broström & Ole Henrik Hansen
2010. Critical perspectives on Danish early childhood education and care: between the technical and the political. Early Years 30:3 ► pp. 243 ff.
Kalleberg, Ragnvald
2011. Hvorfor og hvordan bør samfunnsfagenes relevans styrkes? – Kommentar til Anne Bregnballe og Bjarne Øvrelid. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning 52:3 ► pp. 381 ff.
Kmita, Grażyna
2013. Od zaciekawienia do zaangażowania. O rozwoju samoregulacji w interakcjach z rodzicami niemowląt urodzonych skrajnie wcześnie, przedwcześnie i o czasie,
Lemberger, Dorit
2017. Wittgenstein's ‘Lighting up of an Aspect’ and the Possibility of Change in Psychoanalytic Therapy. British Journal of Psychotherapy 33:2 ► pp. 192 ff.
Lewis, Michael
2015. Emotional Development and Consciousness. In Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, ► pp. 1 ff.
Mahn, Holbrook & Vera John‐Steiner
2012. Vygotsky and Sociocultural Approaches to Teaching and Learning. In Handbook of Psychology, Second Edition,
Merenda, Aluette & Alessandra Salerno
2014. Daniel N. Stern: una biografia intersoggettiva. QUADERNI DI GESTALT :2 ► pp. 59 ff.
Moll, Henrike, Ellyn Pueschel, Qianhui Ni & Alexandra Little
2021. Sharing Experiences in Infancy: From Primary Intersubjectivity to Shared Intentionality. Frontiers in Psychology 12
Moore, Richard
2016. Unterschiede in den kommunikativen Interaktionen von Kleinkindern und Menschenaffen. Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 283 ff.
Oakley, Todd & Đorđe Vidanović
2014. Deixis and personhood: Autism, intersubjectivity, and the fluidity-to-inelasticity hypothesis. Cognitive Semiotics 7:2
Pelkey, Jamin
2022. Cultural Symmetry: From Group Theory to Semiotics. In Handbook of Cognitive Mathematics, ► pp. 1 ff.
Pelkey, Jamin
2022. Cultural Symmetry: From Group Theory to Semiotics. In Handbook of Cognitive Mathematics, ► pp. 573 ff.
Petitt, Bill
2015. The future is not a problem – it is today that is the challenge - Some reflections on the terms «systems» and «system theory». Fokus på familien 43:4 ► pp. 313 ff.
Salomonsson, Björn
2016. Psychoanalytisches Sprechen mit Säuglingen und Eltern: Was, warum und wann. Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 317 ff.
Schacht, Michael
2014. Aktueller denn je… Morenos Werk aus entwicklungspsychologischer Sicht. Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie 13:S1 ► pp. 137 ff.
Schlensog-Schuster, Franziska
2016. «Eure Nahrung ess’ ich nicht, unsere Sprache sprech’ ich nicht». Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 330 ff.
Steffensen, Sune Vork
2013. Human Interactivity: Problem-Solving, Solution-Probing and Verbal Patterns in the Wild. In Cognition Beyond the Brain, ► pp. 195 ff.
Steffensen, Sune Vork
2017. Human Interactivity: Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving, and Verbal Patterns in the Wild. In Cognition Beyond the Brain, ► pp. 85 ff.
Stuart, Susan A. J.
2012. Enkinaesthesia: The Essential Sensuous Background for Co-Agency. In Knowing without Thinking, ► pp. 167 ff.
Stuart, Susan AJ
2024. Why language clouds our ascription of understanding, intention and consciousness. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
Tresse, Erik
2019. Her er jeg. Hvem er du?. Tidsskrift for psykisk helsearbeid 16:1 ► pp. 52 ff.
Trevarthen, C. & C. Fresquez
2015. Sharing human movement for well-being: Research on communication in infancy and applications in dance movement psychotherapy. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy 10:4 ► pp. 194 ff.
Trevarthen, Colwyn
2011. What is it like to be a person who knows nothing? Defining the active intersubjective mind of a newborn human being. Infant and Child Development 20:1 ► pp. 119 ff.
Trevarthen, Colwyn
2015. The developmental psychology and neuropsychology of emotion in language. In Emotion in Language [Consciousness & Emotion Book Series, 10], ► pp. 3 ff.
Trevarthen, Colwyn
2015. Awareness of Infants: What Do They, and We, Seek?. Psychoanalytic Inquiry 35:4 ► pp. 395 ff.
Trevarthen, Colwyn
2016. From the Intrinsic Motive Pulse of Infant Actions to the Life Time of Cultural Meanings. In Philosophy and Psychology of Time, ► pp. 225 ff.
Trevarthen, Colwyn
2019. The Psychobiology of the Human Spirit. In Early Interaction and Developmental Psychopathology, ► pp. 1 ff.
Trevarthen, Colwyn, Maya Gratier & Nigel Osborne
2014. The human nature of culture and education. WIREs Cognitive Science 5:2 ► pp. 173 ff.
Våpenstad, Eystein Victor & Brynulf Bakkenget
2021. Pre-verbal Children’s Participation in a New Key. How Intersubjectivity Can Contribute to Understanding and Implementation of Child Rights in Early Childhood. Frontiers in Psychology 12
White, Lars O.
2016. Magisches Denken: psychoanalytische und entwicklungspsychopathologische Perspektiven. Kinderanalyse 24:04 ► pp. 344 ff.
Ødegaard, Elin Eriksen, Marion Oen & Johanna Birkeland
2023. Success of and Barriers to Workshop Methodology: Experiences from Exploration and Pedagogical Innovation Laboratories (EX-PED-LAB). In Methodology for Research with Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals [International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, 38], ► pp. 57 ff.
[no author supplied]
2020. References. In Introducing Cognitive Analytic Therapy, ► pp. 315 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 12 april 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.
Subjects
Consciousness Research
Psychology
Main BIC Subject
CFD: Psycholinguistics
Main BISAC Subject
PSY039000: PSYCHOLOGY / Developmental / General