Oral Presentations
Examining the Relationship Between Anthropomorphism and Theory Of Mind
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Sarah Sweezy
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Psychology
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Theory of mind is defined as the ability to infer other people’s mental states, such as thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or knowledge. However, mental states can be attributed to non-human others. Anthropomorphism is the tendency to give nonhuman entities human characteristics, including the attribution of mental states to animals, nature, or technology. Although both concepts include thinking about mental states of others, past research has not found a clear relationship between the two abilities.
The current study examined how children’s (N=82, age 5-8) tendency to anthropomorphize may be related to theory of mind. Children completed an Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire- Child Form (IDAQ-CF). Theory of Mind data was assessed through two parent-report measures. The Children’s Social Understanding Scale (CSUS) examines children’s social cognitive understanding. The Child Social Preference Scale (CSPS) examines children’s propensity to engage in social interaction. Correlational analyses will be used to examine the relationship between anthropomorphism and theory of mind.
Although past studies have not found a clear link between the two concepts, the current study aims to explore subscales to examine how different components of theory of mind and anthropomorphism may be related. Past studies have looked at the data as a whole, but my research examines the subscales within all, finding relationships that may be missed when only looking at the overall scores. I think exploring the link between the two concepts could be useful in examining the development of children’s minds. Theory of mind and anthropomorphism are both interesting topics, and examining potential links between the two can provide further clarity to children’s tendency to mentalize.
Category
Humanities
Examining the Relationship Between Anthropomorphism and Theory Of Mind
UC 327
Theory of mind is defined as the ability to infer other people’s mental states, such as thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or knowledge. However, mental states can be attributed to non-human others. Anthropomorphism is the tendency to give nonhuman entities human characteristics, including the attribution of mental states to animals, nature, or technology. Although both concepts include thinking about mental states of others, past research has not found a clear relationship between the two abilities.
The current study examined how children’s (N=82, age 5-8) tendency to anthropomorphize may be related to theory of mind. Children completed an Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire- Child Form (IDAQ-CF). Theory of Mind data was assessed through two parent-report measures. The Children’s Social Understanding Scale (CSUS) examines children’s social cognitive understanding. The Child Social Preference Scale (CSPS) examines children’s propensity to engage in social interaction. Correlational analyses will be used to examine the relationship between anthropomorphism and theory of mind.
Although past studies have not found a clear link between the two concepts, the current study aims to explore subscales to examine how different components of theory of mind and anthropomorphism may be related. Past studies have looked at the data as a whole, but my research examines the subscales within all, finding relationships that may be missed when only looking at the overall scores. I think exploring the link between the two concepts could be useful in examining the development of children’s minds. Theory of mind and anthropomorphism are both interesting topics, and examining potential links between the two can provide further clarity to children’s tendency to mentalize.