Mind Skills Research Articles

The role of theory of mind and edutainment messages in recognizing native advertising: a test of the CARE model

The use of native advertising (a.k.a. sponsored content) posing as journalistic content is a controversial practice. In particular, there are substantial concerns that ordinary news consumers are unable to recognize that such content is intended to be persuasive. Recent theorizing via the Covert Advertising Recognition and Effects (CARE) model suggests that news consumers need the motivation and/or ability to recognize these messages. This study tested these elements of the CARE model in an experiment with 567 college students. Specifically, this study examined whether increased ability to recognize advertising via theory of mind skills and updated format knowledge about native advertising affected participants ability to recognize native advertising as persuasive messaging. Results showed that participants were only successful in recognizing persuasive content when they had both higher theory of mind abilities and exposure to the edutainment message about native advertising. These findings provide key insights into how adults process native advertising.

Bilingualism and second-order theory of mind development in autistic children over time: Longitudinal relations with language, executive functions, and intelligence.

Theory of Mind has long been studied as a core weakness in autism spectrum disorder due to its relationship with social reciprocity, while bilingualism has been shown to compensate for autistic individuals' mentalizing weaknesses. However, our knowledge of the Theory of Mind developmental trajectories of bilingual and monolingual autistic children, as well as of the factors related to Theory of Mind development in autism spectrum disorder is still limited. The current study has examined first- and second-order Theory of Mind skills in 21 monolingual and 21 bilingual autistic children longitudinally across three time points, specifically at ages 6, 9, and 12, and also investigated associations between Theory of Mind trajectories and trajectories of the children's language, intelligence and executive function skills. The results reveal that bilingual autistic children outperformed their monolingual peers in second-order Theory of Mind at ages 9 and 12, and that intelligence and, especially, expressive vocabulary skills played a pivotal role in advancing bilingual autistic children's second-order Theory of Mind development. On the other hand, monolingual autistic children only managed to capitalize on their language and intelligence resources at age 12. The findings highlight the importance of investigating bilingualism effects on autistic children's advanced cognitive abilities longitudinally.

Early artificial intelligence education: Effects of cooperative play and direct instruction on kindergarteners' computational thinking, sequencing, self‐regulation and theory of mind skills

Early artificial intelligence education: Effects of cooperative play and direct instruction on kindergarteners' computational thinking, sequencing, self‐regulation and theory of mind skills

Theory of mind skills and peer relationships in children's adjustment to preschool.

School adjustment affects children's future lives in many ways. This study examined the relationship between ToM skills, peer relationships, and school adjustment. Specifically, this study determined whether preschool children's school adjustment could be significantly predicted by theory of mind (ToM) skills and peer relationships. A total of 164 children aged 4 (34.5%), and 5 (38%) years of preschool attendance participated in the study. According to the research, children's age, theory of mind, peer relations, and school adjustment are closely related. It was also found that the theory of mind significantly predicted school adjustment (school liking/avoidance) and that prosocial and aggressive behavior predicted school liking.

How theory of mind leads to positive first impressions.

A common conjecture is that social success relies on "theory of mind"-the everyday skill of imputing mental states to others. We test the hypothesis that individuals with stronger theory of mind skills and motivation garner more positive first impressions because of how they interact with others. Participants included 334 young adults who were paired with a peer for a first-time meeting. Dyads completed a cooperative Lego-building task, which was videotaped and later coded for behavioral manifestations of theory of mind by independent raters. Theory of mind accuracy and motivation were assessed with validated laboratory tasks and a self-report questionnaire, respectively. First impressions were assessed based on partner's ratings of participant likeability, enjoyment of the interaction, and changes in positive affect. Results of actor-partner interdependence mediation models revealed that the associations between theory of mind and first impressions are indirect and mediated through behaviors. Specifically, participants with stronger theory of mind demonstrated greater cognitive sensitivity and pragmatic conversational skills. However, only cognitive sensitivity subsequently predicted more favorable first impressions. This research shows that social-cognitive skills can affect others' social impressions through their behavioral manifestations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Two Sides of Theory of Mind: Mental State Attribution to Moving Shapes in Paranoid Schizophrenia Is Independent of the Severity of Positive Symptoms.

Theory of Mind (ToM) impairment has repeatedly been found in paranoid schizophrenia. The current study aims at investigating whether this is related to a deficit in ToM (undermentalizing) or an increased ToM ability to hyperattribute others' mental states (overmentalizing). Mental state attribution was examined in 24 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (12 acute paranoid (APS) and 12 post-acute paranoid (PPS)) with regard to positive symptoms as well as matched healthy persons using a moving shapes paradigm. We used 3-T-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to provide insights into the neural underpinnings of ToM due to attributional processes in different states of paranoid schizophrenia. In the condition that makes demands on theory of mind skills (ToM condition), in patients with diagnosed schizophrenia less appropriate mental state descriptions have been used, and they attributed mental states less often to the moving shapes than healthy persons. On a neural level, patients suffering from schizophrenia exhibited within the ToM network hypoactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and hyperactivity in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) as compared to the healthy sample. Our results indicate both undermentalizing and hypoactivity in the MPFC and increased overattribution related to hyperactivity in the TPJ in paranoid schizophrenia, providing new implications for understanding ToM in paranoid schizophrenia.

The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Organizational Learning at Jordanian Commercial Banks

Organizational learning is a critical element that enables an organization to adapt to changes and remain competitive. It allows corporate team members to continue to advance their professional growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the impact of human resources management practices on organizational learning in Jordanian commercial banks. A quantitative method was employed, and the data was collected from the commercial banking sector in Jordan. A total of 386 questionnaires were collected and subjected to analysis. Based on the results, the results that study suggested the presence of a statistically significant effect at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05) of human resource management practices in their dimensions (employment, training, motivation, performance evaluation) on organizational learning. The study recommended paying more attention to the hiring process and providing training to new and experienced employees as plans are developed, paying more attention to the hiring process and providing training to new and experienced employees as plans are designed while keeping cross-organizational skills in mind. And pay special attention to the performance evaluation perspective of improving the quality of work.

Stereotype threat contributes to poorer recall performance among undergraduate students with problematic drinking patterns.

Stereotype threat occurs when individuals from stigmatized groups feel they are expected to conform to a negative stereotype associated with their group. Studies show that activating stereotype threat can impair performance on cognitive tasks in various marginalized groups. Individuals with problematic alcohol use are subject to stigmatized views related to cognitive abilities and socialization skills; thus, we examine for the first time whether eliciting stereotype threat impairs performance on a memory and a theory of mind task in undergraduate students with varying drinking patterns. We randomized 205 students to a neutral or a stereotype threat condition, which informed participants that the purpose of the study was to assess memory performance and theory of mind skills in relation to different patterns of alcohol consumption. In the stereotype threat group, individuals with problematic drinking patterns demonstrated significantly worse memory performance than nonproblematic drinkers and nondrinkers. The same was not true in the neutral condition, where memory recall did not differ significantly as a function of drinking status. Experimental group and drinking status failed to reveal significant effects on cognitive and affective theory of mind performance. Problematic alcohol use patterns were only associated with poorer memory when stereotype threat was elicited, which indicates that assessments of neurocognitive profiles may be biased, at least for memory performance, if stereotype threat is inadvertently elicited in substance users. Broader implications support the imperative to avoid stigmatization of problematic substance use in scientific communication and clinical settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Decreased oxytocin levels related to social cognition impairment in borderline personality disorder.

Dysfunctions in the oxytocin system have been reported in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Deficits could be related to interpersonal hypersensitivity, which has been previously associated with failures in social cognition (SC) in this disorder, especially in Theory of Mind (ToM) skills. The aim of this work is to study the links between the oxytocin system and SC impairments in patients with BPD. Plasma oxytocin levels (OXT) and protein expression of oxytocin receptors in blood mononuclear cells (OXTR) were examined in 33 patients with a diagnosis of BPD (age: M 28.85, DT = 8.83). Social cognition was assessed using the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC). Statistical associations between biochemical factors and different response errors in MASC were analyzed through generalized linear regression controlling for relevant clinical factors. Generalized linear regression showed a significant relationship between lower OXTR and overmentalization in BPD patients (OR = 0.90). This work supports the relationship between alterations in the oxytocin system and ToM impairments observed in BPD patients, enhancing the search for endophenotypes related to the phenotypic features of the disorder to improve current clinical knowledge and address more specific therapeutic targets.

Are Communication Skills, Emotion Regulation and Theory of Mind Skills Impaired in Adolescents with Developmental Dyslexia?

ABSTRACT This study investigates pragmatic language impairment, Theory of Mind (ToM), and emotion regulation in adolescents with Developmental Dyslexia(DD). The Social Responsiveness Scale-2(SRS) and Children’s Communication Checklist-2(CCC-2) scores were found to be statistically significantly higher in the DD group than in healthy controls. DD group had lower performance in ToM skills and they have more difficulties in emotion regulation. We also found that CCC-2 and ToM scores were significantly correlated in adolescents with DD. These results may be important in understanding the difficulties experienced in social functioning and interpersonal relationships in adolescents with DD.

Theory of Mind impairment in childhood narcolepsy type 1: a case-control study.

Narcolepsy type 1 is a central disorder of hypersomnolence characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy and other rapid eye movement sleep-related manifestations. Neurophysiological studies suggest that narcolepsy type 1 patients may experience impairment in emotional processing due to structural and functional changes in limbic structures and associated areas. However, the only study exploring narcolepsy behavioural responses found no impairment in the ability to recognize emotions, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms. The present study was designed to fill this gap in the literature by investigating the behavioural impairment related to emotional processing focusing on an advanced socio-cognitive skill, namely Theory of Mind, in paediatric narcolepsy type 1 patients. Twenty-two narcolepsy type 1 children and adolescents (six female; age range: 8.0-13.5) and 22 healthy controls matched for age and sex (six female; age range: 8.9-13.0) underwent a neuropsychological evaluation to assess socio-economic status, verbal abilities, working memory, social anxiety and Theory of Mind via a verbal task (i.e. Strange Stories task) and a visual task (i.e. Silent Films). Narcolepsy type 1 patients were also evaluated for disease severity. Patients exhibited impairment in Theory of Mind skills, as assessed both through both verbal (controls median = 8; patients median = 5; P = 0.009) and visual tasks (controls median = 8; patients median = 6; P = 0.003), compared to healthy controls. Correlation analyses showed that verbal and visual Theory of Mind was negatively related to narcolepsy severity (ρ = -0.45, P = 0.035 and ρ = -0.52, P = 0.012), and daytime sleepiness (ρ = -0.48, P = 0.025 and ρ = -0.45, P = 0.038). Our study shows a selective impairment in the Theory of Mind domain in children and adolescents with narcolepsy type 1. In addition, our results highlight a link between symptom severity and Theory of Mind, suggesting that lower Theory of Mind levels are associated with higher symptom severity. Further, longitudinal studies are needed to disentangle the direction of this relation and to disambiguate if narcolepsy severity impaired children's Theory of Mind or if Theory of Mind skills modulate the severity of narcolepsy symptoms by providing a greater ability to avoid cataplexy.

The Relationship between Giftedness and Sex and Children's Theory of Mind Skills and Social Behavior.

Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to recognize the mental states and emotions of others, is central to effective social relationships. Measuring higher-order ToM skills in gifted children may be a useful way to identify the tendency to experience difficulties in social behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between intelligence and sex in children using ToM and social behavior measures. Children aged 10-12 years constituted both the gifted (n = 45) and non-gifted (n = 45) groups. The participants were assessed for prosocial behaviors and peer problems using the subscales of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and in terms of ToM using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test-Child Version (RMET-C) and the Faux Pas Recognition Test-Child Version (FPRT-C). ToM test results were higher in gifted children and girls. Peer problems were lower in gifted children. Prosocial behavior was higher in girls. No relationship was determined between ToM tests and peer problems or prosocial behavior in gifted children, but such a relationship was observed in the non-gifted group. This study shows that gifted children with high cognitive skills also possess superior social cognition skills. Advanced ToM skills in gifted children may be important to supporting their social and cognitive development. The differences between boys and girls should be considered in educational interventions applied to children in the social sphere.

Enhancing Student Learning Through #DigitalPowerups, “Pushed me to be Creative”: Student Discussions in Environmental Sociology Course


 The use of #digitalpowerups is a technique that involves associating keywords with prompts in online discussion forums, which enables students to have more choice and voice. These powerups not only help structure responses but also enrich discussions and develop academic skills necessary for online assignments. The approach leverages the social media interaction space of discussion forums by introducing hashtags that remind students of the prompt being addressed and indicate the level of Bloom's being engaged. By using the powerups, students can engage in mid-levels and higher-order levels of Bloom's, along with the lower levels that they typically engage in based on the design and facilitation of the discussion. Students typically participate in the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy (#remember, #understand) due to the way the discussion is structured and facilitated. However, the use of #digitalpowerups encourages students to move beyond these levels and engage in mid-levels (#apply, #analyze, #evaluate) and higher-order levels (#create, #connect) during discussions.The powerups also scaffold or frame student responses with habits of mind skills. This article examines how the #digitalpowerups strategy supports learning in a virtual community for Environmental Concerns in the Environmental Sociology Course through content analysis of student discussion postings. The primary data (total of 375 postings) were collected from the Environmental Sociology Class throughout the following academic years: Fall 2020 (96 postings), Fall 2021 (67 postings), Spring 2022 (92 postings) and Spring 2023 (120 postings). 
 
 

Theory of mind and metacognition in migraine patients

Objective: Theory of Mind (ToM) and metacognition are distinct psychological constructs, involving the understanding of emotions and mental states in oneself and others. Despite their relevance, these concepts have been poorly investigated in adult migraine groups and the findings in the existing literature are inconsistent. Our objective was to assess the hypothesis that theory of mind skills and metacognitive abilities are impaired in individuals with migraine. Material-Method: We included 23 individuals with Episodic Migraine (EM), 19 with Chronic Migraine (CM) and 30 Healthy Controls (HCs). To assess Theory of Mind (ToM) skills and metacognitive abilities, participants, including both EM and CM patients in an attack-free period, as well as HCs, underwent the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Reading Mind in the Eyes test (RMET) and Metacognition Scale (MCQ). Results: Patients with CM exhibited higher BDI scores compared to both EM patients and HCs (p=.018, p=.032, respectively). Furthermore, the RMET scores of CM patients were significantly lower than those of the HCs (p=.011). MCQ scores did not show significant differences between the groups (p=.288). Notably, MCQ scores were positively correlated with BDI scores (r=0.42, p<0.0001), and RMET scores were negatively correlated with the duration of migraine (r=-0.46, p=0.003). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the presence of ToM skills impairments in adult migraine patients, particularly associated with the chronicity of the disease. Managing migraine in patients should consider addressing the observed low ToM skills as part of the overall approach.

Habits of Mind: A Study in Anticipating Learning Loss at State Universities in Riau Province

Habits of mind a lecturer's is very important so that students can overcome obstacles in learning activities. For approximately two years the implementation of learning is carried out online, so this condition has a negative impact on students and students. One of these impacts is the occurrence of Learning Loss in students. In general, the research that has been carried out has identified research data through the instrument developed by Costa and Kallik which consists of many question indicators. However, the indicators developed by Marzano have not been widely used. These indicators include: Self Regulation, Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking. This research focuses on the Habits of Mind Lecturers of Social Studies Education Department at State Universities in Riau Province in Anticipating Learning Loss. The research conducted is descriptive quantitative research. To analyze the index and the sustainability status of the Habits of Mind Lecturer skills, a Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis approach was used with the help of the RapHoM software (modified Rapfish). The habits of mind skills of lecturers at state universities in Riau Province are classified as quite sustainable. His condition is certainly a warning that the habits of mid skill of a lecturer are needed in order to increase student interest, motivation and achievement through lecturer habits in transmitting positive thinking habits to students. Keywords: Anticipating Learning Loss, Habits of Mind, Creative Thinking

Differential Effects of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder Comorbidity in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Social Cognition and Empathy

Objective: This study aimed to investigate social cognition and empathy properties in children among Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) + Attention and Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD); ADHD and healthy controls from Türkiye. Methods: Twenty-two children with DMDD were compared to matched 30 children with ADHD and 60 healthy controls. We administered Affective Reactivity Index (ARI), KaSi Empathy Scale, Kiddie-SADS, and Reading Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) to evaluate Theory of Mind skills to all study participants. Results: DMDD + ADHD group had lower performance in ToM skills and empathy than in two groups. The ARI scores were found to be statistically significantly higher in the DMDD group than in two groups. It was also found that ARI, empathy, and ToM scores were significantly related in children with DMDD + ADHD. Conclusion: These results might be important to understand the difficulties in social functioning and interpersonal relationship in children with DMDD and ADHD. Children with DMDD may attend specific therapeutic programs which include specific techniques in social cognition, emotion regulation, and irritability.

Neural correlates of mental state decoding and mental state reasoning in schizophrenia

Theory of mind skills are disrupted in schizophrenia. However, various theory of mind tasks measure different neurocognitive domains. This multimodal neuroimaging study aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of mental state decoding and reasoning components of theory of mind in schizophrenia and healthy controls (HCs) using T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted (DTI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sixty-two patients with schizophrenia and 34 HCs were included. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RMET) and Hinting tests were used to evaluate mental state decoding and reasoning, respectively. Correlations between social cognition and cortical parameters (thickness, volume, surface area), or DTI scalars (fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity) were cluster-based corrected for multiple comparisons. In schizophrenia, RMET scores showed positive correlations in 3 clusters, including left insula thickness, right superior-temporal thickness, left superior-temporal-sulcus volume, and DTI analysis revealed that fractional anisotropy showed positive correlations in 3 clusters, including right inferior-fronto-occipital fasciculus, left forceps-major, left inferior-fronto-occipital fasciculus. In schizophrenia, Hinting test scores showed positive correlations in 3 clusters in T1-weighted MRI, including left superior-temporal-sulcus volume, left superior-temporal-sulcus surface area, left pars-orbitalis volume. In conclusion, this study provided evidence for the involvement of particular cortical regions and white matter tracts in mental state decoding and reasoning.

The effect of reverse roleplay training to improve the counselor’s mind skills

Mind skills become the counselor’s internal competencies that support the counselor’s self-development in providing guidance and counseling services. Mind skills consist of six components that are interrelated and often integrated. The metacognitive thinking process is the key to success in how counselors can manage their thoughts and mental states through these six components. This study examined the success of the reverse roleplay training strategy to improve the counselor’s mind skills. The method was quasi-experimental quantitative with a pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this study were 31 counselors in Malang Raya, Indonesia. Data analysis in this study used two stages, descriptive statistical analysis and hypothesis test. The results showed that the counselor’s mind skills achievements before and after the intervention marked a difference with significant increase. Reverse roleplay increased the participants’ understanding and experience of the thoughts, perceptions, and feelings from broader perspectives. The counselor’s mental experiences involved during counseling sessions become a “full presence” for the therapeutic relationship. This research suggests further research to explore the counselor’s mental experiences in detail. As for practical implication, the reverse roleplay is recommended as a training design for improving the internal competencies of counselors and educators in general.

Investigation of Attachment Style and Theory of Mind Skills in Mothers of Children with Cognitive Delay

Investigation of Attachment Style and Theory of Mind Skills in Mothers of Children with Cognitive Delay

Emotion Regulation, Theory of Mind, and Attachment to Parents and Peers Among Turkish Adolescent Offenders and Victims: A Single-Center, Cross-Sectional, Case-Control Study.

There may be many risk factors for both youth offending and victimization. In our study, we aimed to compare youth offenders and victims in terms of attachment characteristics, emotion regulation, and mind-reading skills. This study employed a single-center, cross-sectional, case-control design. Kiddie and Young Adult Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime Version along with diagnostic criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, were administered by clinicians. Mind-reading skills were assessed with Reading the Mind in the Eyes task (RMET) and Faces test. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Short Form (IPPA-SF) were used for assessing attachment and emotion regulation properties. : When we compared the two groups in terms of IPPA-SF, DERS, RMET and Faces test, we found that victimized and offending youth did not differ significantly in terms of attachment to peers and communication/trust domains of parental attachment. Youth offenders and victims differed significantly in terms of DERS- Non-acceptance and Goals both (P = .031 and .045; respectively). Offending youth scored significantly higher in Non-acceptance, while victimized youth scored significantly higher in Goals. : Offending youth were more alienated from their parents, were experiencing problems with emotional acceptance, and had lower theory of mind and emotion recognition skills compared to victimized youth. Therefore, protective interventions supporting parent-adolescent communication/attachment, as well as emotion recognition/regulation and theory of mind skills of youth, may protect children from both victimization and delinquency.