Understanding individual differences in trait perception and theory of mind
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Experimental Psychology
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to represent the mental states of oneself and others (Premack & Woodruff, 1978). It has long been proposed that neurotypical individuals possess a neural module dedicated to these representations, and that this module is missing or defective in the case of autism (Baron-Cohen, 2000; Frith, 1994). However, Theory of Mind deficits in autistic adults have proven difficult to demonstrate experimentally (e.g., Dziobek et al., 2006; Happé, 1995), calling into question the all-or-nothing modular approach. My project seeks to build a comprehensive theoretical model of mental state inference supported by empirical data. Building upon previous work, which has demonstrated a relationship between trait judgements and mental state inferences (Conway et al., 2020), I will conduct a series of experiments to elucidate the cognitive processes involved in making accurate trait judgements and translating them into mental state inferences. With this framework established, I will determine whether proposed Theory of Mind deficits do indeed exist in autism and, if so, which specific cognitive mechanisms underlie them. Similarly, I will explore social-cognitive difficulties in mental health conditions, such as depression, examining how Theory of Mind deficits may explain certain patterns of thinking and resultant symptomology.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Geoffrey Bird (Primary Supervisor) | |
Emily Long (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ES/P000649/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
2420999 | Studentship | ES/P000649/1 | 01/10/2020 | 13/03/2025 | Emily Long |