scholarly journals Are “Theory of Mind” Skills in People with Epilepsy Related to How Stigmatised They Feel? An Exploratory Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Noble ◽  
A. Robinson ◽  
A. G. Marson
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Frontal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Idiopathic Generalised Epilepsy ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
The Mind ◽  
First Time

Feelings of stigma are one of the main burdens reported by people with epilepsy (PWE). Adults with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy and children with idiopathic generalised epilepsy are at risk of Theory of Mind (ToM) deficits. ToM refers to social cognitive skills, including the ability to understand the thoughts, intentions, beliefs, and emotions of others. It has been proffered that ToM deficits may contribute to the feelings of stigma experienced by PWE. In this study we tested this for the first time. We also determined the association between clinical and demographic factors and ToM performance. Five hundred and three PWE were recruited via epilepsy organisations and completed measures online. Feelings of stigma were measured using Jacoby’s Stigma Scale, whilst the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Faux Pas Test measured ToM. The median age of participants was 37 years, their median years living with epilepsy were 15, and 70% had experienced seizures in the prior 12 months. Feelings of stigma held a negligible, negative, and nonsignificant association with ToM performance (rs  −0.02 and-0.05). Our results indicate that the ToM model for understanding epilepsy stigma has limited utility and alternative approaches to understanding and addressing epilepsy-related stigma are required.

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 Entrainment, theory of mind, and prosociality in child musicians

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 205920431775315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Ilari ◽  
Cara Fesjian ◽  
Assal Habibi
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Age At Onset ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Prosocial Skills ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Sports Programs ◽  
The Mind

In this study, we tracked the development of rhythmic entrainment, prosociality, and theory of mind skills in children attending music and sports programs and in a control group over the course of three years. Forty-five children (mean age at onset = 81 months) drummed in two contextual conditions – alone and social – completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test and prosocial tasks (helping and sharing). All children improved in their ability to entrain to external rhythms over time, with the music group outperforming controls in the entrainment-social condition. Developmental effects were found for theory of mind, but no significant group differences. Although there were no significant group differences for prosociality, following three years of music education, entrainment scores in the alone condition were positively correlated with the number of stickers that children in the music group gave to friends. Results are discussed in light of the nature of collective music learning through ensemble participation and its role in the development of social-cognitive and prosocial skills in childhood.

Theory of Mind in Mild Cognitive Impairment – Relationship with Limbic Structures and Behavioural Change

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1023-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes C. Michaelian ◽  
Loren Mowszowski ◽  
Adam J. Guastella ◽  
Julie D. Henry ◽  
Shantel Duffy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Social Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
The Mind

AbstractObjectives:Older adults presenting with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have a higher risk of developing dementia and also demonstrate impairments in social cognition. This study sought to establish whether in people with MCI, poorer theory of mind (ToM) was associated with volumetric changes in the amygdala and hippocampus, as well as early changes in behaviour.Methods:One hundred and fourteen people with MCI and fifty-two older adult controls completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), while close informants (e.g., spouse/family member/friend/carer) described any current behavioural changes using the Revised Cambridge Behavioural Inventory (CBI-R). A subsample of participants completed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Results:The MCI group showed poorer performance on all neuropsychological tests administered, and moderate reductions on the RMET compared to the control group (d = .44), with greater reduction observed in those with amnestic compared to non-amnestic MCI (p = .03). While a robust correlation was identified between poorer RMET performance and smaller hippocampal volume in the control group (ρ = .53, p = .01), this relationship was not apparent in the MCI group (ρ = .21, p = .11). In the MCI group, poorer RMET performance was associated with poorer everyday skills (ρ = −.26, p = .01) assessed by the CBI-R.Conclusions:Our findings cross-validate previous reports that social cognitive deficits in ToM are a feature of MCI and also suggest that disruptions to broader neural networks are likely to be implicated. Furthermore, ToM deficits in MCI are associated with a decline in everyday skills such as writing or paying bills.

scholarly journals The elephant in the room: What matters cognitively in cumulative technological culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Osiurak ◽  
Emanuelle Reynaud
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
Technical Reasoning

Abstract Cumulative technological culture (CTC) refers to the increase in the efficiency and complexity of tools and techniques in human populations over generations. A fascinating question is to understand the cognitive origins of this phenomenon. Because CTC is definitely a social phenomenon, most accounts have suggested a series of cognitive mechanisms oriented toward the social dimension (e.g., teaching, imitation, theory of mind, and metacognition), thereby minimizing the technical dimension and the potential influence of non-social, cognitive skills. What if we have failed to see the elephant in the room? What if social cognitive mechanisms were only catalyzing factors and not the sufficient and necessary conditions for the emergence of CTC? In this article, we offer an alternative, unified cognitive approach to this phenomenon by assuming that CTC originates in non-social cognitive skills, namely technical-reasoning skills which enable humans to develop the technical potential necessary to constantly acquire and improve technical information. This leads us to discuss how theory of mind and metacognition, in concert with technical reasoning, can help boost CTC. The cognitive approach developed here opens up promising new avenues for reinterpreting classical issues (e.g., innovation, emulation vs. imitation, social vs. asocial learning, cooperation, teaching, and overimitation) in a field that has so far been largely dominated by other disciplines, such as evolutionary biology, mathematics, anthropology, archeology, economics, and philosophy.

Does the Past Shape Anticipation for the Future?

2018 ◽  
Vol 226 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Hansen Lagattuta ◽  
Sarah M. Tashjian ◽  
Hannah J. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Mental States ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Mind

Abstract. A positive association between executive function (a set of higher order, self-regulatory cognitive skills) and theory of mind (beliefs about mental states) has been well documented during early childhood. As investigations extend beyond false belief understanding (that the mind can misrepresent reality), there is growing interest in examining contributions of executive function to more advanced aspects of theory of mind in older age groups. To add to this literature, we showed 4- to 10-year-olds and adults (N = 274) scenarios in which a perpetrator acted positively (P) and/or negatively (N) toward a focal character on two separate days (PP, NN, NP, and PN). Participants inferred focal characters’ future-oriented mental states upon seeing perpetrators for the third time. Children and adults also completed executive function measures (working memory and inhibitory control). Both age and executive function independently predicted higher life history theory of mind: Recognition that prior life experiences influence how individuals think, feel, and make decisions about the future.

Does the bonobo have a (chimpanzee-like) theory of mind?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Krupenye ◽  
Evan L. MacLean ◽  
Brian Hare
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
The Social ◽  
Theorie De L'esprit ◽  
Cognition Sociale

Theory of mind—the ability to reason about the thoughts and emotions of others—is central to what makes us human. Chimpanzees too appear to understand some psychological states. While less is known about bonobos, several lines of evidence suggest that the social-cognitive abilities of the two sister taxa may differ in key respects. This chapter outlines a framework to guide future research on bonobo social cognition based on the predictions of two potentially complementary hypotheses. The self-domestication hypothesis suggests that selection against aggression and for prosociality in bonobos may have impacted the ontogeny of their social-cognitive skills relative to chimpanzees. The empathizing–systemizing hypothesis links degree of prenatal brain masculinization, a potential result of self-domestication, to adult cognition. Specifically, relative feminization may yield more flexible theory of mind skills in bonobos than chimpanzees. Finally, directions for future study, including development of new paradigms that maximize ecological validity for bonobos, are discussed. La théorie de l’esprit—le pouvoir de raisonner les pensées et émotions des autres—est centrale à notre nature humaine. Il parait que les chimpanzés peuvent comprendre quelques états psychologiques. Tandis que nous savons moins des bonobos, plusieurs témoignages suggèrent que les capacités socio-cognitives des deux taxons soeur peuvent différer dans des aspects clefs. Nous traçons un cadre pour guider les prochaines recherches sur la cognition sociale des bonobos, basé sur les prédictions de deux hypothèses potentiellement complémentaires. L’hypothèse d’auto-domestication suggère que l’anti-agression et la prosocialité des bonobos a influé leur ontogenèse et leur capacités socio-cognitives relativement aux chimpanzés. L’hypothèse d’empathie systématique (Empathizing–Systemizing) forme un lien entre le degré de masculinisation prénatale du cerveau, le résultat potentiel d’auto-domestication, et la cognition adulte. Spécifiquement, la féminisation relative génère des théories de l’esprit plus flexibles chez les bonobos que chez les chimpanzés. Enfin, nous discutons le directions pour les prochaines études, inclut le développement de nouveaux paradigmes qui maximisent la validité écologique des bonobos.

scholarly journals Scaling of Early Social Cognitive Skills in Typically Developing Infants and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 3988-4000
Author(s):  
Katherine Ellis ◽  
Philippa Lewington ◽  
Laurie Powis ◽  
Chris Oliver ◽  
Jane Waite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Sequence ◽  
Shared Intentionality

Abstract We delineate the sequence that typically developing infants pass tasks that assess different early social cognitive skills considered precursors to theory-of-mind abilities. We compared this normative sequence to performance on these tasks in a group of autistic (AUT) children. 86 infants were administered seven tasks assessing intention reading and shared intentionality (Study 1). Infants responses followed a consistent developmental sequence, forming a four-stage scale. These tasks were administered to 21 AUT children (Study 2), who passed tasks in the same sequence. However, performance on tasks that required following others’ eye gaze and cooperating with others was delayed. Findings indicate that earlier-developing skills provide a foundation for later-developing skills, and difficulties in acquiring some early social cognitive skills in AUT children.

scholarly journals Reading Books and Reading Minds: Differential Effects of Wonder and The Crossover on Empathy and Theory of Mind

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-54
Author(s):  
Martha S. Guarisco ◽  
Celine Brooks ◽  
Louise M. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Sixth Graders ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Academic Unit ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Before And After

We tested sixth graders for empathy and theory of mind before and after an academic unit on either Wonder or The Crossover. Wonder was associated with improved perspective-taking; students who read The Crossover increased in concern for others. Faux pas detection increased in both genders with Wonder, and in girls with The Crossover. Students who read The Crossover in print showed improved understanding of facial expressions, while students who used iPads declined. Young adult fiction is associated with improved social cognitive skills, but effects depend on gender and reading format, as well as on the choice of individual book.

scholarly journals Reading the Mind in Robots: How Theory of Mind Ability Alters Mental State Attributions During Human-Robot Interactions

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1550-1554
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn L. Schreck ◽  
Olivia B. Newton ◽  
Jihye Song ◽  
Stephen M. Fiore
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Social Signals ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Navigation Task ◽  
The Mind

This study examined how human-robot interaction is influenced by individual differences in theory of mind ability. Participants engaged in a hallway navigation task with a robot over a number of trials. The display on the robot and its proxemics behavior was manipulated, and participants made mental state attributions across trials. Participant ability in theory of mind was also assessed. Results show that proxemics behavior and robotic display characteristics differentially influence the degree to which individuals perceive the robot when making mental state attributions about self or other. Additionally, theory of mind ability interacted with proxemics and display characteristics. The findings illustrate the importance of understanding individual differences in higher level cognition. As robots become more social, the need to understand social cognitive processes in human-robot interactions increases. Results are discussed in the context of how individual differences and social signals theory inform research in human-robot interaction.

scholarly journals Theory of mind and social inference in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 791-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. Schenkel ◽  
M. Marlow-O'Connor ◽  
M. Moss ◽  
J. A. Sweeney ◽  
M. N. Pavuluri
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
False Belief ◽  
Pediatric Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Treatment Target ◽  
Illness Onset ◽  
Manic Symptoms ◽  
Younger Age

SummaryBackgroundDeficits in theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to infer what another person is thinking or feeling, have been reported in manic and euthymic adults with bipolar disorder. To date, there have been no investigations of ToM in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). The aim of the current study was to investigate this ability in PBD patients and healthy controls.MethodPBD patients (n=26) and intellectually and demographically similar healthy comparison subjects (n=20) were administered two ToM tasks. In the Affective Story Task, subjects were read positive-, negative- and neutral-valenced stories, and were assessed on their ability to recognize that a misleading series of events could lead one character to develop a false belief about another character. On the Hinting Task, subjects were required to infer the real intentions behind subtle hints.ResultsThe PBD group performed significantly more poorly than controls on the Hinting Task and the positive and negative conditions of the Affective Story Task. In the PBD group only, younger age, earlier illness onset and manic symptoms were associated with poorer ToM performance.ConclusionsConsistent with past findings in adult bipolar disorder (BD), PBD youth performed more poorly than controls on ToM tasks. Data suggest that ToM ability may be more impaired in affectively charged contexts. Additionally, an earlier onset of illness among PBD youth may interfere with the development of social-cognitive skills. ToM disturbances may be a useful treatment target in PBD, with the aim of facilitating more accurate assessment of social cues and better interpersonal functioning.

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