Humans are highly social animals, relying on cooperation and group bonds to thrive. Our thoughts, behavior, and self-esteem are shaped by our successes socially. Theory of Mind is an essential aspect of our sociality.
In this article, we will explain and explore Theory of Mind; its importance in our development and achievements, and whether or not it can be improved.
What is Theory of Mind?
Theory of mind refers to the ability to understand other people and their behavior by ascribing mental states to them. It’s called “Theory” of Mind because anytime you attribute a motivation, a thought, or a feeling to someone else you are theorizing. You don’t know exactly what they are thinking, you are making a prediction 1. Some people will be better at this than others. They will have a higher success rate in their predictions and likely be called intuitive or empathetic. They might be good at sales, public relations, public speaking, and/or advising others.
As we are such highly social animals our success is tied into our sociableness. The strength of one’s ability to gauge the moods and motivations of others contributes to stronger personal relationships and career accomplishments.
The Development of Theory of Mind
We are not born with the ability to read others, it is something we develop. The skill evolves between the ages of 4-5. Further, there are developmental precursors necessary for this evolution.
- Pretending to be someone else (a teacher, doctor, firefighter, etc)
- Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
- Understanding other people have different likes/dislikes
The Nerdwriter’s video essay on The Office (drawing on how the theory of mind relates to cringe humor) is an excellent illustration of the consequences of being a weak mind reader. You can find the full video in our Resources.
In addition, here is a clip from the U.S. version of the show called Dinner Party. In this clip, the range of abilities the characters have with regards to reading each other is on full display. Those weak in this area create the “cringe”.
So, people will vary in their ability to “mind read” but the serious theory of mind problems can have a variety of causes and complications; Autism, Schizophrenia, Depression, and Anxiety all contribute to having a weak theory of mind2.
Improving Theory of Mind
Given the importance of having a strong theory of mind, numerous studies have been conducted on whether theory of mind can be improved3. A study by Hove and Rise 4 demonstrated that synchronizing with a visual target on a computer wasn’t sufficient to induce increased affiliation with physically present others. Interpersonal synchrony is essential.
Another study 5 coordinated actions with a complete stranger through participation in a musical game and found it to be sufficient to induce an empathic pain response of the same magnitude as that shared with close friends.
In addition, theory of mind training for children with autism has been found to be of help. This training consists of pictures and drawings of cartoon characters with different kinds of emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, and aggression being shown to children who are asked to determine the emotions6.
Understanding Misunderstanding
Part of the reason cringe humor is so relatable is that everyone has misread someone else. We touched on the factors that contribute to this. Given that there are times we will all misread others, it’s important to be compassionate to ourselves, and others, when this occurs. Understanding misunderstanding is an important part of being human.
Technology & Relationships
How we perceive, empathize and love each other in the Internet age
As social media continues to evolve, it influences everything from politics, self-esteem, status, and love. Under the increasingly needed scrutiny of this fact, we explore how we might be certain that we are using technology as much as it is using us.
This ebook was created to raise awareness of the impacts of technology on our relationships.
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Sources
- How the Theory of Mind Helps Helps us Understand Others, Kendra Cherry, Very Well Mind
- Theory of Mind, Charlotte Ruhl, Simply Psychology
- Enhancing “theory of mind” Through Behavioral Synchrony, Baimel, Serverson, Baron and Birch, Frontiers
- It’s All in the Timing: Interpersonal Synchrony Increases Affiliation, Michael J. Hove and Jane L. Risen, Guildford Press Periodicals
- Reducing Social Stress Elicits Emotional Contagion of Pain in Mouse and Human Strangers, Martin, L. J., Hathaway, G., Isbester, K., Mirali, S., Acland, E. L., Niederstrasser, N., et al., Current Biology
- The Effectiveness of Theory of Mind Training On the Social Skills of Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders, Narges Adibsereshki, MD,1 Abbas Nesayan, Ph.D.,Roghayeh Asadi Gandomani, MD,and Masood Karimlou, Iranian Journal of Child Neurology
Resources
