Brain-Related Development of the Social Self-Concept during Adolescence. A Neuroscientific Approach

Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject Psychology - Developmental Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Institut für Philosophie), course: Neurowissenschaften der Entwicklung, language: English, abstract: In the following passages I want to provide a neuroscientific approach, an overview of the development of the social self-concept and its relation to the development of specific brain regions during adolescence. First, I will introduce the notion of (social) self-concept and how it is individually expressed during different developmental ontogenetic stages. Then I will refer to relevant brain regions and their general and social cognitive functions which are crucial related to the self-concept. The association between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the (social) self-concept is especially discussed. I will finish with a brief conclusion which also mentions possible related topics for future research.