Final answer:
The behavior of young children who guide their actions through self-talk is called private speech which is part of cognitive development. They imitate adults in their surroundings, a key stage in developing their sense of self. As they grow, they move from egocentrism to understanding others' perspectives, an element of theory of mind.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Behavior of Young Children and Self-Guidance
The behavior of young children who talk to themselves to guide their actions is known as private speech. This is a cognitive strategy where children verbalize thoughts to themselves in order to control their behavior, plan actions, and reinforce their own efforts. It coincides with Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, which states that self-directed speech aids in self-regulation and problem-solving. As children grow, this behavior evolves into inner speech, which is still a form of self-guidance but is silent.
During early development, children mimic actions and behaviors of adults as part of social and cognitive development. For instance, acting out adult roles and communicating on a toy telephone are ways they explore and learn about their environment, a concept understood within Mead's theory of the development of 'self'. They begin by imitating significant others during the preparatory stage and gradually progress to the play stage where they take on the roles of different people and consider different perspectives within their play.
Children at a young age also display egocentrism, characterized by a lack of awareness of other's perspectives. This can evolve into a developed theory of mind (ToM) as they grow older, where they begin to understand that others have different thoughts and feelings, which is crucial for social interactions and effective communication.