The third set of processes are various forms of human "executive self-regulation."
The author posits that many aspects of human cognition and social uniqueness result from the special ways in which children attempt to executively self-regulate their thoughts and actions, not just individually, as do many other primates, but also socially through constantly monitoring the perspectives and the evaluations of social partners and self.
After age three, children begin to socially self-monitor their communications to see if others understand them, and they also begin to socially self-monitor the impression they are making on others so as to maintain their cooperative identity in the group.
In addition, they also collaboratively self-regulate their cooperative interactions with others.
By doing these things, by age six, children have created many of the various kinds of self-reflexive, normatively structured and reason-based forms of thought and action, that make them for the first time, reasonable and responsible persons.
In the rest of the book, the author uses this framework to explain the origin and development of children's species-unique forms of psychological functioning during the first six years of their life.
He uses eight ontogenetic pathways four cognitive and four socio-moral. Taken together, they best distinguish humans from their nearest great ape relatives, and thus explain the process of becoming human.
Everywhere the book is clear. But after chapter four, the reading gets denser and requires leaning more heavily on biological and developmental psychology understanding. But the plunge is well worth the pain. Clearly a five star book.
(Article changed on Mar 24, 2021 at 6:08 AM EDT)
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