Mirror stage: Difference between revisions

Lacan's concept of the mirror stage was strongly inspired by earlier work by psychologist [[Henri Wallon (psychologist)|Henri Wallon]], who speculated based on observations of animals and humans responding to their reflections in mirrors.<ref name ="Webster">Webster, Richard. (2002) "[http://www.richardwebster.net/thecultoflacan.html The cult of Lacan: Freud, Lacan and the mirror stage.]"</ref> Wallon noted that by the age of about six months, human infants and chimpanzees both ''seem'' to recognize their reflection in a mirror. While chimpanzees rapidly lose interest in the discovery, human infants typically become very interested and devote much time and effort to exploring the connections between their bodies and their images.<ref name="Evans, 2005">[[Dylan Evans|Evans, Dylan]] (2005). "[http://beta.finance-on.net/upload/ver/ver4480020c6d2b2/lacan.pdf From Lacan to Darwin] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502205406/http://beta.finance-on.net/upload/ver/ver4480020c6d2b2/lacan.pdf |date=2014-05-02 }}," in ''The Literary Animal: Evolution and the Nature of Narrative'', eds. Jonathan Gottschall and David Sloan Wilson, Evanston: Northwestern University Press, pp38-55.</ref> In a 1931 paper, Wallon argued that mirrors helped children develop a sense of self-identity. However, later [[mirror test]] research indicates that while toddlers are usually fascinated by mirrors, they do not actually recognize themselves in mirrors until the age of 15 months at the earliest,<ref>Lewis, Michael, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, and John Jaskir. "Individual Differences in Visual Self-recognition as a Function of Mother-infant Attachment Relationship." Developmental Psychobiology 21.6 (1985) 1181-87</ref> leading psychoanalytically trained critic Norman N. Holland to declare that "there is no evidence whatsoever for Lacan's notion of a mirror stage".<ref>Holland, Norman N. (1998) [http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/nholland/lacan.htm The Trouble(s) With Lacan]".</ref> Similarly, physician [[Raymond Tallis]]<ref>Tallis, Raymond.