Social Cognition: Selman's level of perspective taking Flashcards
What is social cognition?
The mental processes we make use of when engaged in social interaction.
E.G We make decisions on how to behave based on our understanding of a social situation.
What is perspective taking?
Our ability to appreciate a social situation from the perspective (POV) of other people.
Why was Selman different to Piaget in his views on development?
Piaget thought that social and physical perspective taking formed at the same time and so tested this with PHYSICAL perspective taking tasks (three mountains task).
Selman however thought social perspective taking (understanding other peoples thoughts/feelings) developed separately to physical and should be looked at independently.
What was the procedure of Selman 1971?
30 boys 30 girls (20 4, 5 and 6 year olds).
Individually given a task designed to measure perspective taking (asking them how people felt in different scenarios).
One included Holly (promised her dad she wouldn’t climb trees but then came across her friend whose cat was stuck in a tree). Children asked about different perspectives (Holly, her friend and father)
What were the findings of Selman 1971?
A number of distinct levels of perspective-taking were identified. Selman found that level of perspective taking correlated with age, suggesting a clear developmental sequence.
What are Selman’s Stages of Development?
Stage 0(3-6) Socially Egocentric.
Stage 1(6-8) Social informational.
Stage 2(8-10) Self-reflective.
Stage 3(10-12) Mutual Role taking.
Stage 4(12+) Social and conventional.
What abilities does a child have at:
Stage 0(3-6) Socially Egocentric?
A child cannot reliability distinguish between their own emotions and those of others. They can generally identify emotional states (understand other people have thoughts and feelings) but will often confuse the two.
What abilities does a child have at:
Stage 1(6-8) Social informational?
A child can now reliably tell the difference between their own point of view and others. But they can only focus on one (they struggle combining viewpoints).
What abilities does a child have at:
Stage 2(8-10) Self-reflective?
A child can explain the position of another person and can fully appreciate (step into another’s shoes) their perspective but can still only consider one point of view at a time.
What abilities does a child have at:
Stage 3(10-12) Mutual Role taking.
A child is now able to simultaneously consider their own point of view and that of another at the same time.
They can also step out of a 2 person situation and see how it would be viewed from an unbiased 3rd party.
What abilities does a child have at:
Stage 4(12+) Social and conventional.
A child recognises that understanding others, viewpoints is not enough to allow people to reach agreement. Social conventions are needed to keep order - influenced by culture and values
What later developments was made to Selman’s theory?
Selman has recognised the stages do not fully explain social development, there are other aspects.
1- Interpersonal understanding
2- Interpersonal negotiation strategies
3- Awareness of personal meaning of relationships.
Interpersonal understanding is what?
If we can take on different roles then we can understand social situations.
Interpersonal negotiation strategies are what?
Understanding what others think in social situations we also have to develop skills of how to respond to them. Develop social skills such as asserting our position and managing conflict.
Awareness of personal meaning of relationships, what is this?
Understanding social situations and how to manage them, social development also requires the ability to reflect on social behaviour in the context of different relationships.
