Scary facts 2

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Most of us take it for granted that we will recognize ourselves in a mirror. Yet, it seems that not everyone can pass the mirror mark test for self-recognition. Scientists use a method of marking the face or body, then observing what the subject does in front of a mirror, to test for signs that they recognize themselves and try to rub off the mark. Children usually develop mirror self-recognition by 24 months of age.

However, when researchers tested non-Western children-in countries like Fiji and Kenya-these children failed to pass the test even at six years of age. But this is not a sign that they lack the ability to separate themselves psychologically from other humans. Rather, it is a cultural difference in the use of mirrors, and a problem with the effectiveness of the mirror test. These children showed freezing behavior when confronted with their own reflection, indicating that they did understand that the reflection was themselves, not somebody else.