Graduation Year
2024
Graduation Month
May
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
School or Department
Psychology
Major
Psychology
Faculty Mentor Department
Psychology
Faculty Mentor
Sarah Sweezy
Keywords
Anthropomorphism, Theory of Mind
Subject Categories
Developmental Psychology
Abstract
Two ways people think about the mental state of others is through anthropomorphism and theory of mind. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human-like capacities to non-human entities, such as ascribing mental and internal states (Waytz et al., 2013). Theory of mind is the ability to infer and understand other people’s mental states, such as beliefs, desires, intentions, and knowledge (Doherty, 2011). We predicted these two concepts are associated, and this prediction was assessed through the research outlined here. The current study examined potential associations between children’s (N=82; 5-8 years old) anthropomorphism, parent-reported theory of mind, and parent-reported social preferences. Findings indicated the concepts are related, specifically belief understanding was negatively correlated to anthropomorphism of technology and nature. These findings point to a connection between the concepts, hopefully sparking future inquiries into why these connections exist as they do.
Honors College Research Project
Yes
GLI Capstone Project
no
Recommended Citation
Paulson, Noah, "Examining the Relation Between Anthropomorphism and Theory of Mind" (2024). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 500.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/500
Included in
© Copyright 2024 Noah Paulson