Itselfconcept

Itselfconcept is a term in cognitive science and philosophy for the knowledge and beliefs an agent has about itself, including identity, capabilities, preferences, and the boundary between self and others. It functions as an internal model that the agent uses to interpret experiences, guide action, and anticipate outcomes. While related to the broader self-concept, itselfconcept emphasizes reflexive knowledge about the self as an object of thought and as a center of agency. In humans it resembles the development of a coherent sense of self, integrating attributes, goals, and social roles. In artificial systems, it corresponds to a self-model describing capabilities, current state, and constraints to support planning and monitoring.

Components include identity and continuity over time, perceived abilities and limits, goals and strategies, bodily or system state, and boundaries with the environment.

Development arises from experience, feedback, and memory; in AI it is shaped by training, simulation, and introspective modules.

Assessment varies: psychology uses self-report inventories; AI uses measures of predictive accuracy, consistency, and fault detection in the self-model.

The term is not universally standardized and is interpreted differently by domains, but it provides a framework for describing how agents represent themselves to act adaptively.