Abstract
Michael Lewis is a leading figure in developmental psychology.In this essay, the author reviews and summarizes Lewis’s theory of self-development by examining his articles and books. It is suggested that Lewis’s theory of self-development should be considered an important perspective for researchers in developmental psychology, nursery teachers, and parents. According to Lewis, the two milestones in selfdevelopment are age 1.5 years, and 2 to 3 years of age. Children acquire “consciousness, or self-referential behaviors” at 1.5 years. This “consciousness” is a key term in Lewis’s theory and demonstrates its uniqueness. At 2 to 3 years of age, children demonstrate “self-conscious evaluative emotions”. According to Lewis, only humans and great apes have “consciousness”, and only humans can have “self-conscious evaluative emotions”. Lewis’s theory is a data-based theory, and therefore, obtaining more data on children would be expected to develop his theory even further.
