Enhancing Empathy and Theory of Mind

Autor/inn/en	Goldstein, Thalia R.; Winner, Ellen
Titel	Enhancing Empathy and Theory of Mind
Quelle	In: Journal of Cognition and Development, 13 (2012) 1, S.19-37 (19 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1524-8372
DOI	10.1080/15248372.2011.573514
Schlagwörter	Theory of Mind; Visual Arts; Skill Development; Adolescents; Empathy; Cognitive Development; Cooperation; Cultural Awareness; Hypothesis Testing; Scores; Elementary School Students; High School Freshmen; Measures (Individuals); Role Playing; Social Cognition; Drama; Music Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Optische Gestaltung; Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugend; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Empathie; Kognitive Entwicklung; Co-operation; Kooperation; Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität; Hypothesenprüfung; Hypothesentest; Messdaten; Rollenspiel; Soziale Kognition; Schauspiel; Musikerziehung
Abstract	Social cognitive skills such as empathy and theory of mind are crucial for everyday interactions, cooperation, and cultural learning, and deficits in these skills have been implicated in pathologies such as autism spectrum disorder, sociopathy, and nonverbal learning disorders. Little research has examined how these skills develop after early childhood and how they may be trained. We tested the hypothesis that experience in acting, an activity in which one must step into the shoes of others, leads to growth in both empathy and theory of mind. In two studies, we followed children (elementary school aged) and adolescents (high school freshmen) receiving 1 year of either acting or other arts training (visual arts, music) and assessed empathy and theory of mind before and after training. In both studies, those receiving acting (but not other arts) training showed significant gains in empathy scores; in Study 2, adolescents receiving acting training also showed significant gains on a naturalistic measure of theory of mind, the Empathic Accuracy Paradigm. These findings demonstrate plasticity in empathy and theory of mind long past the watershed age of 3 to 4 years and suggest that both capacities are enhanced by role-playing. (Contains 3 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Psychology Press. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10