Selman's Levels of Perspective Taking

Question 1

Work on Perspective Taking

Answer 1

Social perspective taking = understanding what someone else is thinking/feeling
. Selman believes this is domain specific

Question 2

Perspective - taking research

Answer 2

Procedure = 30 boys/30 girls (10 of each age: 4/5/6)
^ E.g: Holly promised father will no longer climb trees, but friends kitten stuck in the tree

Findings = number of distinct levels of perspective - taking correlated with age, clear sequence

Question 3

Level 0: Socially Egocentric (3-6)
(Stages of Development)

Answer 3

Child can’t distinguish between own perspective and others
^ E.g: Save the kitten because they like cats

Question 4

Level 1: Social Info role taking (6-8)
(Stages of Development)

Answer 4

Any difference in perspective put down to differences in info
^ E.g: father might be angry if does not know why Holly climbed the tree

Question 5

Level 2: Self reflective role taking (8-10)
(Stages of Development)

Answer 5

Understands different values shape perspective, others can see things from peoples perspective
^ E.g: Hollys father will understand why she climbed the tree, can also see fathers POV

Question 6

Level 3: Mutual role taking (10-12)
(Stages of Development)

Answer 6

Imagine perspective of neutral 3rd person observing interaction

Question 7

Level 4: Societal and conventional role taking (12-15)
(Stages of Development)

Answer 7

Take perspective of 3rd person with context of wider societal/cultural values
^ E.g: Holly shouldn’t be punished - wider societal value of caring for animals

Question 8

Later Development
(Schultz, Selman and La Russo)

Answer 8

Identified 3 aspects to social development:
1. Interpersonal Understanding = can take different roles - shows can understand social situations

2. Interpersonal negotiation strategies = develop skills in how to react to them
3. Awareness of personal meaning of relationship = ability to reflect social behaviour in context of life history and full range of relationships

Question 9

Evaluation (Strengths)

Answer 9

. Evidence perspective taking gets better with age
. Mixed evidence for importance (flashcard)
. Cultural Differences
^ Chinese and USA

Question 10

Evaluation (Limitations)

Answer 10

. Overly Cognitive