{"title":"Mindsets over matter: priming theory of mind improves older adults' mental state attributions about naturalistic social interactions.","authors":"Anne C Krendl, Colleen S Hughes","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2024.2399091","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Aging is associated with declines in theory of mind - the ability to infer the mental states of others. We examined whether priming theory of mind mindsets actively (Study 1) and passively (Study 2) improved older adults' performance.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Across two studies, participants completed a novel question-and-answer theory of mind task using the television show <i>Nathan for You<sup>®</sup></i> in a mindset or no mindset condition. In Study 1, participants (<i>N</i> = 324, 18-84 years) completed a similar task related to a different show prior to the <i>Nathan for You</i> task (active mindset). In Study 2, young (<i>N</i> = 235; <i>M<sub>Age</sub></i> = 20.47) and older (<i>N</i> = 193, <i>M<sub>Age</sub></i> = 74.48) adults made continuous ratings of awkwardness of different episodes of <i>Nathan for You</i> before completing the question-and-answer task (passive mindset). We also measured executive function and episodic memory. In both studies, the same tasks were performed in reverse order for the control conditions (no mindset).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mindsets were associated with small-to-medium increases in theory of mind performance. Cognitive ability did not explain these improvements.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that theory of mind performance can be improved through motivation (e.g. mindsets); cognitive function (e.g. ability) does not moderate this relationship.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Aging & Mental Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2024.2399091","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Aging is associated with declines in theory of mind - the ability to infer the mental states of others. We examined whether priming theory of mind mindsets actively (Study 1) and passively (Study 2) improved older adults' performance.
Method: Across two studies, participants completed a novel question-and-answer theory of mind task using the television show Nathan for You® in a mindset or no mindset condition. In Study 1, participants (N = 324, 18-84 years) completed a similar task related to a different show prior to the Nathan for You task (active mindset). In Study 2, young (N = 235; MAge = 20.47) and older (N = 193, MAge = 74.48) adults made continuous ratings of awkwardness of different episodes of Nathan for You before completing the question-and-answer task (passive mindset). We also measured executive function and episodic memory. In both studies, the same tasks were performed in reverse order for the control conditions (no mindset).
Results: Mindsets were associated with small-to-medium increases in theory of mind performance. Cognitive ability did not explain these improvements.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that theory of mind performance can be improved through motivation (e.g. mindsets); cognitive function (e.g. ability) does not moderate this relationship.
期刊介绍:
Aging & Mental Health provides a leading international forum for the rapidly expanding field which investigates the relationship between the aging process and mental health. The journal addresses the mental changes associated with normal and abnormal or pathological aging, as well as the psychological and psychiatric problems of the aging population. The journal also has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary and innovative approaches that explore new topics and methods.
Aging & Mental Health covers the biological, psychological and social aspects of aging as they relate to mental health. In particular it encourages an integrated approach for examining various biopsychosocial processes and etiological factors associated with psychological changes in the elderly. It also emphasizes the various strategies, therapies and services which may be directed at improving the mental health of the elderly and their families. In this way the journal promotes a strong alliance among the theoretical, experimental and applied sciences across a range of issues affecting mental health and aging. The emphasis of the journal is on rigorous quantitative, and qualitative, research and, high quality innovative studies on emerging topics.