11.4 social cognition: selman

Define social cognition

the mental processes we use when engaged in social interaction

Define perspective taking

Our ability to appreciate other people’s perspectives

What is social perspective taking

• A part of social cognition

• What someone else is feeling or thinking

What was Selmans procedure for perspective taking research

• 30 boys and 30 girls, ages 4,5 and 6

• Asked how each person felt in various scenarios

• E.,g holly promised her father she will no longer climb trees, but she comes across her friends kitten stuck in a tree

• Asked to describe how each person would feel if she did/ didn’t climb the tree (holly, her friend and her father)

What was Selmans findings for perspective taking research

• a number of distinct levels were identified

• Found that perspective taking correlated with age, showing a clear developmental sequence

List Selmans stages of development

• stage 0 - egocentric

• Stage 1 - social informative

• Stage 2 - self reflective

• Stage 3 - mutual

• Stage 4 - social and conventional system

What age is stage 0 - egocentric

3-6

What age is Stage 1 - social informative

6-8

What age is Stage 2 - self reflective

8-10

What age is Stage 3 - mutual

10-12

What age is Stage 4 - social and conventional system

12+

What occurs in stage 0 - egocentric

• they cannot distinguish between their own emotions and those of others

• They may identify emotional states in others but not what social behaviour caused them

What occurs in stage 1 - social informative

• a child can now tell the difference between their point of view and others

• But usually focus on their own

What occurs in stage 2 - self reflective

• child can fully appreciate others perspective

• But can only take on one point of view at a time

What occurs in stage 3 - mutual

• children are able to look at a situation from their own and another’s point of view at the same time

What occurs in stage 4 - social and conventional system

• able to understand that seeing from others point of view is not enough for people to reach agreement

• Which is why social conventions are needed to keep order

What did Schultz propose

there are 3 aspects to social development

1. Interpersonal understanding

2. Interpersonal negotiation strategies

3. Awareness of personal meaning of relationships

Schultz - what is interpersonal understanding

If we can take different roles then we can understand social situations

Schultz - what is Interpersonal negotiation strategies

Knowing how to respond to what others think

Schultz - what is Awareness of personal meaning of relationships

Ability to reflect on social behaviour in the context of different relationships

Evaluation - research support for stages

• selman tested 60 children using scenarios (holly and the kitten)

• Found significant positive correlations between age and the ability to take different perspectives

• Supported by longitudinal studies which found perspective taking improves over time, have good validity because they control individual differences

Evaluation - research support for perspective taking

• observational study of child-parent interaction in toy shops (Valenburg)

• Found negative correlations between coercion/ unhealthy social behaviours and age

• So unhealthy social behaviours decreased as perspective taking developed

Counter - Keller found bullies have no difficulties in perspective taking, so it may not be a key element in healthy social development

Evaluation - too cognitive

• fails to take into account internal factors such as empathy and emotional self regulation

• Also external factors such as parenting style, family climate and peer interaction

Evaluation - nature or nurture

• Keysar compared American and Chinese children. Found Chinese children were more advanced. Shows cultural influences (nurture)

• However seamen believed the stages were based on cognitive maturity (biologically driven), so should be universal