<P> George Herbert Mead created the theory of social behaviorism, which states that the self is created by social experiences . The self is the portion of the being consisting of self - image and self - consciousness--as individuals interact with others, they build up this self . Unlike Freud, Mead believes that the self is not created by biological instincts, but rather solely by societal influences . He also stated that the use of language and exchanging of symbols to convey meaning is what societal experiences are made up of . Furthermore, one must place themselves in the other person's position to be able to understand them; they must take up the other person's role, and only by understanding the other person's role can self - awareness be achieved . </P> <P> Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley developed the theory of the looking - glass self, which is similar to Mead's theory in that it states that our societal interactions form our self - image . Cooley talked about how significant others are people whose opinions are of importance to us and thus they have strong influences over the way we think about things and ourselves . In this case, a significant other can be any person: a friend, family member, and / or spouse . The theory of the looking - glass self proposes three steps for the formation of the self . In the first step, an individual thinks about how a significant other perceives them . In step two, they imagine that a judgement about them is made by the significant other based on that perception they have of the individual . Lastly, in the third step, based on how the person believes the significant other sees them, they create a self - image . </P> <P> Psychologist Jean Piaget created the theory of cognitive development, which talks about how the mentality of children develops and matures as they grow older and further interact with society . Piaget defined four main periods of development: the sensorimotor period, the pre-operational period, the concrete operational period and the formal operational period . The sensorimotor period takes place from birth to about two years of age and is defined as the stage when infants learn by using their senses and motor skills . In this stage, the main goal is for an infant to learn that an object still exists even when it is not directly in sight; this is known as object permanence . During the pre-operational period, from roughly two to seven years of age, a child is much more capable of conceiving symbolic thought, but is not capable of reasoning yet . Also, children during this period cannot comprehend conservation, which is the ability to understand that different - looking objects can have the same measurable features, such as area, volume, and length . The next period, the concrete operational period, takes place from ages seven to eleven . In this stage, children are able to solve problems or mental operations, only in regards to real events or tangible objects, in their minds . The final stage is the formal operational period, taking place from age eleven through adulthood, and is the period in which individuals learn to solve problems based on hypothetical situations; during that stage, the person can think logically, symbolically and abstractly . </P> <P> Family, the closest set of people to an individual, are the ones that have the greatest impact on the socialization process . Many people, from birth to early adulthood rely heavily on their family for support, basic necessities such as shelter and food, nurturing, and guidance . Due to this, many of the influences from the family become a part of the growing individual . The family imposes on the child their language, culture, race, religion, and class, and as a result all of these concepts contribute to the child's self . Failure of the family to be continuously present as a strong influence can lead to deviant behaviors later on in life . Various theories of primary socialization state that the degree of bonding during this process and the norms acquired during childhood may lead to deviant behavior and even drug abuse as an adult . Also, the ego levels of adults surrounding the person during primary socialization as well their behaviors towards others affects the primary socialization process of the individual . </P>

In the united states the primary agency of socialization is the