Egocentrism and social interaction across the life span.

Uses a life-span framework to organize and interpret existing theory and data pertaining to the concept of egocentrism. Review indicates that most research and theorization on egocentrism are concerned with only the infancy and childhood periods of life, although some theorization has concerned the adolescent period. Essentially none of the existing literature pertaining to the major portion of the life span, adulthood and senescence, is directly related to the concept of the egocentrism. However, the notions of rigidity and regression and the process of psychosocial disengagement, all of which have been traditionally identified with the aging process, are reinterpreted as either manifestations of or contributors to increasing egocentricity in later life. Several areas of pertinent research are identified. (119 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)