Perspective Taking

social cognition refers to our mental processes when engaged in social interaction.

Perspective taking is our ability to appreciate a situation from another persons point of view. In a social context this means what other are thinking and feeling .

Selman aimed to look at changes that occur with age in children’s response to scenarios in which they are asked to take the role of different people in a social scenario. Developed on hypothetical scenarios with multiple perspectives.

30 boys and girls and 4-6 took part in talks where they would have to say how different people felt in certain scenarios eg Holly scenario. He found distinct levels of role taking that were correlated with age. Suggests perspective taking develops in clear stages.

0=3-6 socially egocentric : children can only see their pov. They assume everyone thins the same as them there doe has the same emotions and thoughts.

1=6-8 social information role taking: can see another’s pov but not at the same time and can only see that someone would have different pov due to a difference in info. Don’t understand emotions.

2=8-10 self reflective role taking: can fully appreciate someone else’s pov but can only see one at a time

3=1-12 mutual role taking: can look at a situation from their own and another spot at th same time and understands everyone has their own thoughts and feelings . Can see the point of view of a bystander.

4=12+ socially informative and conventional role taking= able too see that sometimes social conventions play a part in someone’s pov and that society influences how people think.

Evaluation

Significant positive correlation between age and perspective taking which hs been further supported by longitudinal studies where a group of children have been studied as they grew up and perspective taking developed with age in each child.

However correlation doesn’t equal causation.

There is mixed evidence since a researcher found that bullies displayed no difficulties in perspective taking. his is a problem as it suggests that PoV taking may have no factor in the development of social behaviour. Could be seen as reductionist.

Has important applications in understanding development. Seaman’s tasked have been used to compare those with ASD to control groups as they struggle with perspective taking. Helps us to never stand atypical development.

Cultural differences —- Chinese.