A child sees a homeless person on a park bench and grimaces, as he has seen his mother do many times. The mother sees this reaction and smiles at the child. According to Cooley, this type of parental feedback is important because the child is ______.
A) learning to obey the parent
B) engaging in the correct behavior
C) responding to what he feels the feedback means
D) realizing that the parent is rewarding negative behavior

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cooley's concept of the "looking-glass self" suggests that individuals form their self-image based on how they believe others perceive them. In this scenario, the child is responding to the perceived positive feedback (the mother's smile) for mimicking her grimace, indicating that the child is interpreting and responding to what he feels the feedback means, rather than simply learning to obey or engaging in behavior deemed correct without understanding the social implications.

A Child Sees a Homeless Person on a Park Bench