The mindful trajectory: Developmental changes in mentalizing throughout adolescence and young adulthood
Alex Desatnik1,2,3, Annie Bird3,4, Avi Shmueli1
1Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|June 21, 2023
Summary
Mentalizing and psychological mindedness develop through young adulthood, with females generally scoring higher in mentalizing. Both traits correlate positively with Agreeableness, Openness, and Conscientiousness.
Area of Science:
- Social Cognition
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Mentalizing and psychological mindedness are key aspects of social cognition.
- Mentalizing involves reflecting on one's own and others' mental states.
- Psychological mindedness is the capacity for self-reflection and discussing internal states.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine the developmental trajectories of mentalizing and psychological mindedness.
- Investigate the interplay of these capacities with gender and Big Five personality traits.
- Analyze development from adolescence into young adulthood.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 432 adolescents and young adults (ages 14-30).
- Utilized self-report measures for data collection.
- Employed statistical analyses to assess developmental trends and correlations.
Main Results:
- Both mentalizing and psychological mindedness showed curvilinear development, peaking in young adulthood.
- Females consistently scored higher in mentalizing than males, with significant developmental changes observed in both genders.
- Mentalizing and psychological mindedness positively correlated with Agreeableness, Openness to Experience, and Conscientiousness.
Conclusions:
- Findings illuminate the developmental pathways of social cognitive abilities.
- The study highlights gender differences in the development of mentalizing.
- Results underscore the relationship between personality traits and social cognition.
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