Theory of mind, peer acceptance, and social self-perception
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55414/mx0eqq98Keywords:
Theory of Mind Cognitive, Theory of Mind Affective, Peer Acceptance, Social Self-perception, School PerformanceAbstract
Children’s Theory of Mind (ToM) skills have previously been related to the degree of acceptance and rejection they receive from their peers. This study aims to explore whether children’s ability to attribute mental states also affects the precision with which they perceive whether or not they themselves are socially accepted. The objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between children’s ToM skills, the level of peer acceptance and the dyadic precision with which they perceive this level of social acceptance. Eighty-seven children (45 girls) aged between 5 and 11 years old participated in the study. Participants were given a selection of cognitive ToM tasks, affective ToM tasks and a sociometric questionnaire. The results demonstrate a positive relationship between ToM and peer acceptance and a negative relationship between peer acceptance and social self-perception. In addition the study provides performance data on specific ToM tasks associated with individual perception of peer acceptance. Attribution of mental states is an effective variable to perceive social signals and, used correctly, enables social adaptation.
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