Selmans Level Of Perspective Taking

Question 1

Social cognition

Answer 1

This describe the mental processes we use to make use of when engaged in social interaction. For example we make decisions on how to behave based on our understanding of a social situation. Both the understanding and the decision making are cognitive processes.

Question 2

Perspective taking

Answer 2

Our ability to appreciate a social situation from the pov of other people. This cognitive ability underlies much of our social interaction.

Question 3

Overview

Answer 3

Piaget believed in domain-general cognitive development, so he believed that physical and social perspective-taking would occur hand in hand. Selman proposed that the development of social perspective0taking is a separate process. This is domain-specific approach to explaining cognitive development.

Question 4

Seaman’s perspective taking dilemmas

Answer 4

Selman conducted research on children’s perpective-taking abilities by using a series of dilemmas which explore the child’s reasoning when faced with conflicting feelings. The dilemmas required the child to have to take someone else’s or several peoples perspectives.

Question 5

Selman procedure

Answer 5

-30 boys and 30 girls took part - 20 aged 4, 20 aged 5, 20 aged 6
-all were individually given a task designed to measure role-taking ability.
-this involved asking them how each person felt in various scenario.

Question 6

Selmans findings

Answer 6

-a number of distinct levels of role taking were identified.
-Selman found that the level of role taking correlated with age, suggesting a clear developmental sequence

Question 7

Stage 0

Answer 7

-socially egocentric
-3-6 years
-child can’t reliably distinguish between their own emotions and those of others. They can generally identify emotional states in others but dont understand what social behaviour might have caused them.

Question 8

Stage 1

Answer 8

-social information role taking
-6-8 years
- the child can tell the difference between their own PoV and that of another but they can usually focus on only one of these perspectives.

Question 9

Stage 2

Answer 9

-reflective role taking
-8-10 years
-the child can put themselves in the position of another person and fully appreciate their perspective. They can, however, only take on board one PoV at a time.

Question 10

Stage 3

Answer 10

-mutual role taking
-10-12 years
-children are able to look at a situation from their own and others PoV at the same time

Question 11

Stage 4

Answer 11

-social and conventional system role taking
-12 years +
- young people become able to see that sometimes, understanding others viewpoints is not enough to allow people to reach agreement. This is why social conventions are needed to keep order.

Question 12

What’s did Selman say development is based on?

Answer 12

-both maturity and experience

Question 13

Later developments to selmans theory

Answer 13

-Selman recognised that the above descriptions of cognitive reasoning dont fully explain social development. Schultz, Selman and La Russo have identified three aspects to social development.

Question 14

What are the three aspects to social development?

Answer 14

1. Interpersonal understanding
2. Interpersonal negotiation strategies.
3. Awareness of personal meaning or relationships

Question 15

Interpersonal understanding

Answer 15

If we can tale different roles then this shows we can understand social situations. This is what Selman measured in his earlier role-taking research

Question 16

Interpersonal negotiation strategies

Answer 16

As well as understanding what others think in social situations, we also have to develop skills in how to respond to them. We develop social sills such as asserting our position and managing conflict.

Question 17

Awareness of personal meaning of relationships

Answer 17

As well as as understanding what others think in social situations and how to manage them, social development also requires the ability to reflect on social behaviour in the context of life history and the full range of relationships. For example a child may adapt their response to another child based on previous experience with them.

Question 18

Relation to deception

Answer 18

-an interesting outcome perspective taking is the ability to deceive. Deception entails a child being able to plant a false belief in someone else’s mind. They can usually do this around the age of three. Cole (1986) found that children of this age were able to hide their disappointment when they received the worst present (rather than the best one) if they were being watched by others, but they did show disappointment when filmed secretly on their own.