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Theory of Mind experience sampling in typical adults
Lauren Bryant1, Anna Coffey, Daniel J Povinelli
1Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Consciousness and Cognition
|May 21, 2013
Summary
Typical adults think more about actions than mental states. They attribute mental states (Theory of Mind) more when alone and offline, not when socializing or online.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Theory of Mind (ToM) is crucial for social interaction.
- Understanding the frequency and context of everyday ToM attributions is key.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the naturalistic frequency and circumstances of Theory of Mind (ToM) attributions in adults.
- To examine how thought direction and social context influence ToM use.
Main Methods:
- Experience sampling method using a Personal Data Assistant (PDA).
- 30 adults recorded thought types (Action, Mental State, Miscellaneous), direction (self/other), and socializing context (online/offline) over 10 hours.
Main Results:
- Adults dedicate more cognitive resources to thoughts about actions than mental states.
- Mental state attributions (ToM) are more prevalent during solitary, offline periods compared to social, online interactions.
- Self-directed thoughts increase when alone, while other-directed action thoughts increase when socializing.
Conclusions:
- Everyday ToM use is less frequent than action-based thought and context-dependent.
- The study provides a naturalistic view of ToM, highlighting its dynamic nature in social exchanges.
- The methodology offers a promising approach for studying typical and atypical cognitive processes.
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