Final answer:
The concept in question is known as the looking-glass self, developed by Charles Cooley, which describes how a person's self-image is formed by imagining how they appear to others and interpreting others' reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
A person's subjective picture of his or her own appearance based on observations, comparisons, and reactions by others is referred to as the looking-glass self. This concept was developed by sociologist Charles Cooley in 1902, who believed that we form our self-image by imagining how we appear to others, interpreting others' reactions to us, and subsequently developing a personal sense of self. This is a form of qualitative sociology, in which our self-perception comprises information that is subjective and often based on what is observed in a natural setting.
Our self-image is constantly shaped and reshaped through this social process, reflecting not only how we see ourselves but also how we believe others perceive us. Our self-identity is, therefore, not a singular, static image but a dynamic construct that evolves over time through our interactions and the feedback we receive from others. Cooley's idea of the looking-glass self highlights the importance of social interactions in the formation of our identities.