Mentalizing dimensions Flashcards
4 Polarities
Automatic vs controlled
W regard to self and about others
Based on external or internal features of the self and others
Cognitive vs affective
Automatic vs controlled
Automatic/implicit relies an fast parallel and reflexive processes. Require little effort/rely on sensory information. Active in stressful situation (Fight/flight)
Controlled/explicit is verbal and reflective. relies on linguistic/symbolic processing used for mutuality, collaboration.
Mentalizing with regard to the self and about others
Social interactions require computational (controlled) power to develop models of the mind of others/the self. Overreliance on automatic mentalizing implies nonreflective/simplistic/biased assumptions about self and others.
If the ‘switch point’ from automatic to controlles mentalizing under stress is low, there is problematic interpersonal contact
Based on external vs internal
Internally: Inferring mental states by perspective taking or contextually interpret
Externally: Environment cues, eg facial expression and tone of voice
External tends to be less reflective, internally more controlled and reflective.
Cognitive vs affective
Cognitive: capacity to take perspective of others and belief-desire reasoning (explaining/predicting others behaviour by understanding their desire/belief.) rely on controlled mentalizing
Affective: Emotional, feeling reality. More automatic
Very integrated, both play large role
SR system
Shared representation: empathic processing relies on shared representation of others mental states. More implicit, bodily based and mostly mirror neurons.
No high level cognitive processing, more based on similarity of experiencing in others. (I understand how you feel by using own experience)
MSA system
Mental state attribution: less bodily based. Processes more abstract and symbolic. Shaped by interpersonal relationships. Top-down regulating and correction of the SR system that is solely based on mirroring.
