Re-conceptualizing Machiavellianism and Social-Cognitive Skills

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
William Hart ◽  
Christopher J. Breeden ◽  
Charlotte Kinrade
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Person Perception ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Skill ◽  
Prediction Skill ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
College Sample ◽  
Social Prediction

Abstract. Machiavellianism is presumed to encompass advanced social-cognitive skill, but research has generally suggested that Machiavellian individuals are rather deficient in social-cognitive skill. However, previous research on the matter has been limited to measures of (a) Machiavellianism that are unidimensional and saturated with both antagonism and disinhibition and measures (b) only one type of social-cognitive skill. Using a large college sample ( N = 461), we examined how various dimensions of Machiavellianism relate to two types of social-cognitive skill: person-perception skill and general social prediction skill. Consistent with some prior theorizing, the planful dimension of Machiavellianism was positively related to both person-perception and general social prediction skills; antagonistic dimensions of Machiavellianism were negatively related to both skills; either agentic or cynical dimensions of Machiavellianism were generally unrelated to both skills. Overall, the current evidence suggests a complicated relationship between Machiavellianism and social-cognitive skill because Machiavellianism encompasses features that blend deficiency, proficiency, and average levels of social-cognitive skills.

scholarly journals Autism spectrum traits predict higher social psychological skill

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (39) ◽  
pp. 19245-19247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Gollwitzer ◽  
Cameron Martel ◽  
James C. McPartland ◽  
John A. Bargh
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Person Perception ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Loafing ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Group Think

Social-cognitive skills can take different forms, from accurately predicting individuals’ intentions, emotions, and thoughts (person perception or folk psychology) to accurately predicting social phenomena more generally. Past research has linked autism spectrum (AS) traits to person perception deficits in the general population. We tested whether AS traits also predict poor accuracy in terms of predicting generalized social phenomena, assessed via participants’ accuracy at predicting social psychological phenomena (e.g., social loafing, social projection, group think). We found the opposite. In a sample of ∼6,500 participants in 104 countries, AS traits predicted slightly higher social psychological skill. A second study with 400 participants suggested that heightened systemizing underlies this relationship. Our results indicate that AS traits relate positively to a form of social cognitive skill—predicting social psychological phenomena—and highlight the importance of distinguishing between divergent types of social cognition.

scholarly journals Cultural variation in young children’s social motivation for peer collaboration and its relation to the ontogeny of Theory of Mind

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242071
Author(s):  
Roman Stengelin ◽  
Robert Hepach ◽  
Daniel B. M. Haun
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Social Motivation ◽  
Early Ontogeny ◽  
Peer Collaboration ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Cultural Variation

Children seek and like to engage in collaborative activities with their peers. This social motivation is hypothesized to facilitate their emerging social-cognitive skills and vice versa. Current evidence on the ontogeny of social motivation and its’ links to social cognition, however, is subject to a sampling bias toward participants from urban Western populations. Here, we show both cross-cultural variation and homogeneity in three- to eight-year-old children’s expressed positive emotions during and explicit preferences for peer collaboration across three diverse populations (urban German, rural Hai||om/Namibia, rural Ovambo/Namibia; n = 240). Children expressed more positive emotions during collaboration as compared to individual activity, but the extent varied across populations. Children’s preferences for collaboration differed markedly between populations and across ages: While German children across all ages sought collaboration, Hai||om children preferred to act individually throughout childhood. Ovambo children preferred individual play increasingly with age. Across populations, positive emotions expressed selectively during collaboration, predicted children’s social-cognitive skills. These findings provide evidence that culture shapes young children’s social motivation for dyadic peer collaboration. At the same time, the positive relation of social motivation and social cognition in early ontogeny appears cross-culturally constant.

Moving forward on cultural learning

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-529
Author(s):  
Angelina S. Lillard
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Skill ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Imitative Learning ◽  
Behavioral Tradition ◽  
Cultural Element ◽  
Definition Of

Tomasello, Kruger & Ratner make the very interesting and valid point that the transmission of culture must depend on understanding others' minds. Culture is shared among a people and is passed on to progeny. The sharing of culture implies that the purpose of (and therefore the meaning behind) any given cultural element (behavioral tradition, word, or artifact) is understood. Because meaning or purpose emanates from minds, something about others' minds must be understood in order to truly learn some element of a culture. It thus makes sense that cultural learning should depend on social-cognitive skills. But what exactly is cultural learning?There are two rival interpretations of the term cultural learning. In the first, one would define a given type of cultural learning by the type of social-cognitive skill it entails. For example, imitative learning would be defined as any learning of a cultural element in which another's goals or intentions are taken into account. This definition of cultural learning, however, would force Tomasello et al.'s argument into a circle: Imitative learning relies on this social-cognitive skill because imitative learning is defined as learning that relies on this social-cognitive skill. Such a circular definition does not do their argument justice.

Because he plays football, he's not fat, unhealthy, lazy, etc.: A social cognitive bias in health-related person perception evaluations

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant C. Corser ◽  
Joseph M. Goodman ◽  
Matthew Schmidt ◽  
Candace Fowles ◽  
Michael Sauceda
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Bias ◽  
Person Perception ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Health Related

scholarly journals Developing the Instrument of Non-Cognitive Skill Assessment for Science at Junior High School Grade VII: A Conceptual Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Widha Nur Agastya ◽  
Dinny Devi Triana ◽  
Herwindo Haribowo
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Junior High ◽  
Cognitive Skill ◽  
Skill Assessment ◽  
School Grade ◽  
High School Grade ◽  
Individual Character

This research is a qualitative study based on the previous research, which will, apply and adapt the earlier findings to Indonesia’s education system. The particular focus of this study is the non-cognitive skills needed for the study of science subjects at junior high school grade VII, namely: accurateness; perseverance; conscientiousness; responsibility; critical thinking; innovation; open mindedness; sensitivity; empathy; and environmental awareness. This is based on non-cognitive skill construction involving: individual character; emotion; habit; and process. Those aspects can be developed into the syllabus and lesson plans, both evaluating and developing the students’ non-cognitive skills. Keywords: developing instrument, cognitive skill, non-cognitive skill, science, junior high school

scholarly journals Predictive context biases binocular rivalry in children and adults with no positive relation to two measures of social cognition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Valuch ◽  
Louisa Kulke
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Eye Dominance ◽  
Adult Participants

Integration of prior experience and contextual information can help to resolve perceptually ambiguous situations and might support the ability to understand other peoples’ thoughts and intentions, called Theory of Mind. We studied whether the readiness to incorporate contextual information for resolving binocular rivalry is positively associated with Theory-of-Mind-related social cognitive abilities. In children (12 to 13 years) and adults (18 to 25 years), a predictive temporal context reliably modulated the onset of binocular rivalry to a similar degree. In contrast, adult participants scored better on measures of Theory of Mind compared to children. We observed considerable interindividual differences regarding the influence of a predictive context on binocular rivalry, which were associated with differences in sensory eye dominance. The absence of a positive association between predictive effects on perception and Theory of Mind performance suggests that predictive effects on binocular rivalry and higher-level Theory-of-Mind-related abilities stem from different neurocognitive mechanisms. We conclude that the influence of predictive contextual information on basic visual processes is fully developed at an earlier age, whereas social cognitive skills continue to evolve from adolescence to adulthood.

scholarly journals Perceptual-Motor and Perceptual-Cognitive Skill Acquisition in Soccer: A Systematic Review on the Influence of Practice Design and Coaching Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fynn Bergmann ◽  
Rob Gray ◽  
Svenja Wachsmuth ◽  
Oliver Höner
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Cognitive Skill ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Cognitive Skill Acquisition ◽  
Coaching Behavior

Facilitating players' skill acquisition is a major challenge within sport coaches' work which should be supported by evidence-based recommendations outlining the most effective practice and coaching methods. This systematic review aimed at accumulating empirical knowledge on the influence of practice design and coaching behavior on perceptual-motor and perceptual-cognitive skill acquisition in soccer. A systematic search was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines across the databases SPORTDiscus, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, and Web of Science to identify soccer-specific intervention studies conducted in applied experimental settings (search date: 22nd November 2020). The systematic search yielded 8,295 distinct hits which underwent an independent screening process. Finally, 34 eligible articles, comprising of 35 individual studies, were identified and reviewed regarding their theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches and quality, as well as the interventions' effectiveness. These studies were classified into the following two groups: Eighteen studies investigated the theory-driven instructional approaches Differential Learning, Teaching Games for Understanding, and Non-linear Pedagogy. Another seventeen studies, most of them not grounded within a theoretical framework, examined specific aspects of practice task design or coaches' instructions. The Downs and Black checklist and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication were applied to assess the quality in reporting, risk of bias, and the quality of interventions' description. Based on these assessments, the included research was of moderate quality, however, with large differences across individual studies. The quantitative synthesis of results revealed empirical support for the effectiveness of coaching methodologies aiming at encouraging players' self-exploration within representative scenarios to promote technical and tactical skills. Nevertheless, “traditional” repetition-based approaches also achieved improvements with respect to players' technical outcomes, yet, their impact on match-play performance remains widely unexplored. In the light of the large methodological heterogeneity of the included studies (e.g., outcomes or control groups' practice activities), the presented results need to be interpreted by taking the respective intervention characteristics into account. Overall, the current evidence needs to be extended by theory-driven, high-quality studies within controlled experimental designs to allow more consolidated and evidence-based recommendations for coaches' work.

scholarly journals Social Cognition through the Lens of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Arioli ◽  
Chiara Crespi ◽  
Nicola Canessa
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Acquired Brain Injury ◽  
Clinical Neuroscience ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Cognitive Deficits

Social cognition refers to a set of processes, ranging from perception to decision-making, underlying the ability to decode others’ intentions and behaviors to plan actions fitting with social and moral, besides individual and economic considerations. Its centrality in everyday life reflects the neural complexity of social processing and the ubiquity of social cognitive deficits in different pathological conditions. Social cognitive processes can be clustered in three domains associated with (a) perceptual processing of social information such as faces and emotional expressions (social perception), (b) grasping others’ cognitive or affective states (social understanding), and (c) planning behaviors taking into consideration others’, in addition to one’s own, goals (social decision-making). We review these domains from the lens of cognitive neuroscience, i.e., in terms of the brain areas mediating the role of such processes in the ability to make sense of others’ behavior and plan socially appropriate actions. The increasing evidence on the “social brain” obtained from healthy young individuals nowadays constitutes the baseline for detecting changes in social cognitive skills associated with physiological aging or pathological conditions. In the latter case, impairments in one or more of the abovementioned domains represent a prominent concern, or even a core facet, of neurological (e.g., acquired brain injury or neurodegenerative diseases), psychiatric (e.g., schizophrenia), and developmental (e.g., autism) disorders. To pave the way for the other papers of this issue, addressing the social cognitive deficits associated with severe acquired brain injury, we will briefly discuss the available evidence on the status of social cognition in normal aging and its breakdown in neurodegenerative disorders. Although the assessment and treatment of such impairments is a relatively novel sector in neurorehabilitation, the evidence summarized here strongly suggests that the development of remediation procedures for social cognitive skills will represent a future field of translational research in clinical neuroscience.

Facial Emotion Processing and Language During Middle Childhood: An Event Related Potential Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicity J Bigelow ◽  
Gillian M Clark ◽  
Jarrad Lum ◽  
Peter Gregory Enticott
Keyword(s):  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Emotion Processing ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Physiological Indicators ◽  
Facial Emotion Processing ◽  
Related Potentials

Facial emotion processing (FEP) is critical to social cognitive ability. Developmentally, FEP rapidly improves in early childhood and continues to be fine-tuned throughout middle childhood and into adolescence. Previous research has suggested that language plays a role in the development of social cognitive skills, including non-verbal emotion recognition tasks. Here we investigated whether language is associated with specific neurophysiological indicators of FEP. One hundred and fourteen children (4-12 years) completed a language assessment and a FEP task including stimuli depicting anger, happiness, fear, and neutrality. EEG was used to record key event related potentials (ERPs; P100, N170, LPP at occipital and parietal sites separately) previously shown to be sensitive to faces and facial emotion. While there were no main effects of language, the P100 latency to negative expressions appeared to increase with language, while LPP amplitude increased with language for negative and neutral expressions. These findings suggest that language is linked to some early physiological indicators of FEP, but this is dependent on the facial expression. Future studies should explore the role of language in later stages of neural processing, with a focus on processes localised to ventromedial prefrontal regions.

Promoting Cognitive Skill among Engineering Undergraduates with Technological Software

2015 ◽  
pp. 254-262
Author(s):  
Nur Maisarah Binti Shahril Khuzairi ◽  
Manjit Singh Sidhu
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cognitive Skill ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Constant Change ◽  
Evolution Of Technology ◽  
Engineering Undergraduates

This chapter reviews the infusion of technology tools such as the integration of computers into programs like simulation to promote higher cognitive skills among engineering undergraduates. With the constant change of technology and education, it is necessary to refine the current teaching and learning process to not only promote understanding but also to create room for engineering undergraduates to process the information with higher-order cognitive skills. The authors examine the evolution of engineering education against the backdrop of the problems faced in the learning environments and the technological trends in engineering curriculum. To this end, the authors propose strategies to promote higher-order cognitive skills among engineering undergraduates based on the evolution of technology in engineering as well as the challenges faced in the implementation of such tools in teaching and learning.

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