Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups
Societies are becoming more polarised, driven in part by misconceptions about out-groups’ beliefs. To understand these effects, one must examine the cognitive processes underlying how people think about others. Here, we investigate whether people are less prone to theorise about the minds of out-gro...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2024
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| _version_ | 1826317110032203776 |
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| author | Payne, B Bird, G Catmur, C |
| author_facet | Payne, B Bird, G Catmur, C |
| author_sort | Payne, B |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Societies are becoming more polarised, driven in part by misconceptions about out-groups’ beliefs. To understand these effects, one must examine the cognitive processes underlying how people think about others. Here, we investigate whether people are less prone to theorise about the minds of out-groups, or less able to do so. Participants (Study 1: n = 128; Study 2: n = 128) made inferences about social and political beliefs held by real in-group and out-group members, and could choose to receive further information to improve these inferences. Results show: (1) participants sought equivalent or greater information about out-groups relative to in-groups; but despite this, (2) made significantly less accurate inferences for out-groups; and (3) were significantly less aware of their reduced ability. This shows that poorer mental state inference is not underpinned by a reduced propensity to consider out-group minds, but instead by a worse representation of the minds of out-groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:33:36Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:8079e769-48aa-4afd-83cf-1c0e072e3bb0 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:33:17Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:8079e769-48aa-4afd-83cf-1c0e072e3bb02025-01-17T12:26:32ZPoorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groupsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:8079e769-48aa-4afd-83cf-1c0e072e3bb0EnglishJisc Publications RouterSpringer Nature2024Payne, BBird, GCatmur, CSocieties are becoming more polarised, driven in part by misconceptions about out-groups’ beliefs. To understand these effects, one must examine the cognitive processes underlying how people think about others. Here, we investigate whether people are less prone to theorise about the minds of out-groups, or less able to do so. Participants (Study 1: n = 128; Study 2: n = 128) made inferences about social and political beliefs held by real in-group and out-group members, and could choose to receive further information to improve these inferences. Results show: (1) participants sought equivalent or greater information about out-groups relative to in-groups; but despite this, (2) made significantly less accurate inferences for out-groups; and (3) were significantly less aware of their reduced ability. This shows that poorer mental state inference is not underpinned by a reduced propensity to consider out-group minds, but instead by a worse representation of the minds of out-groups. |
| spellingShingle | Payne, B Bird, G Catmur, C Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups |
| title | Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups |
| title_full | Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups |
| title_fullStr | Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups |
| title_full_unstemmed | Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups |
| title_short | Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups |
| title_sort | poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out groups |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT payneb poorerrepresentationofmindsunderpinslessaccuratementalstateinferenceforoutgroups AT birdg poorerrepresentationofmindsunderpinslessaccuratementalstateinferenceforoutgroups AT catmurc poorerrepresentationofmindsunderpinslessaccuratementalstateinferenceforoutgroups |