Which sociologist is associated with the idea that the mind and self are developed through interactions with others?

• A. George Herbert Mead
• B. Sigmund Freud
• C. Erving Goffman
• D. Talcott Parsons

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that the mind and self develop through social interaction with others. George Herbert Mead argued that we acquire our mind and sense of self by taking the roles of others and internalizing the perspectives and norms of our community. Through early imitation, then pretend play, and later participation in organized games, a person learns to see themselves from the viewpoint of others and to anticipate how others will respond. This process gives rise to the self, often described as the ongoing interaction between the “I” (the spontaneous, interpretive part) and the “Me” (the internalized expectations of society), and it shows how language and symbols mediate thought and self-awareness. While Freud focuses on the inner psychic processes and development of personality, and Erving Goffman emphasizes how people present themselves in everyday interactions, and Talcott Parsons analyzes society’s structural functions, Mead is the one most associated with the idea that mind and self are products of social interaction.