Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own.
As originally defined, it enables one to understand that mental states can be the cause of—and thus be used to explain and predict—others’ behavior.Being able to attribute mental states to others and understanding them as causes of behavior implies, in part, that one must be able to conceive of the mind as a “generator of representations”. If a person does not have a complete theory of mind it may be a sign of cognitive or developmental impairment.
Empathy is a related concept, meaning experientially recognizing and understanding the states of mind, including beliefs, desires and particularly emotions of others, often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDtjLSa50uk&feature=player_embedded
No comments:
Post a Comment