Four-Month-Old Babies Show Signs of Self-Awareness, Study Finds

Research indicates that infants can understand their body’s interaction with space, opening up questions about the origins of human consciousness.

Research from the University of Birmingham shows that babies as young as four months can understand their body’s interaction with space, linking visual and tactile experiences.
In the study, babies were shown a ball on a screen moving towards or away from them. When the ball was closest to them on the screen, the babies were presented with a 'touch' (a small vibration) on their hands, whilst their brain activity was measured.
From just four months old, babies show enhanced somatosensory (tactile) brain activity when a touch is preceded by an object moving towards them.
In babies aged eight months old, when the touch on their hand was preceded by the ball on the screen moving away from them, the babies' brain activity showed signs that they were surprised.
The researchers are planning further studies with younger and older participants to investigate these abilities in newborns and adults.