Can Lay Beliefs about Perspective-Taking Predict Behavior towards Others?
1
2
1
Rucha Makati , Diana Tamir & Sylvia Morelli
1
Chicago
University of Illinois 2
Princeton University
Introduction
•
•
Empirical research has shown that perspective-taking increases
self-other overlap, boosts empathy, and helps individuals anticipate
others’ thoughts and behaviors.
However, little is known about whether individuals believe that
perspective-taking can change the self and increase empathy.
It is unclear if these (Study 1) beliefs are stable individual
differences, (Study 2) depend on how vulnerable the self is to
change, (Study 3) can predict perspective-taking of others.
Change
the Self
Study 1
Study 2
Adopt the target's values
0.84
0.77
9
Become more similar to the target
0.68
0.89
7
7
7
Believe the same things as the target
0.73
0.83
Pursue similar goals to the target
0.70
0.79
5
5
5
Alter your identity
0.72
0.83
3
3
3
Change your personality
0.76
0.91
1
1
1
Feel closer to the target
0.55
0.76
Like the target more
0.56
0.82
Get along with the target better
0.60
0.85
Research Questions
• Do people vary in their belief that perspective taking might change
the self?
• Do these lay beliefs depend on how we view the stability and
consistency of the self?
• Can the lay beliefs predict perspective-taking towards
liked/disliked others?
Empathize
Perspective-Taking Consequences (PTC) Model
Having a belief
that PT changes
the self
Threat to
Self-Identity
Approach/Avoid
Perspective-taking
of disliked others
Want to help the target
0.77
0.96
Empathize with the target
0.69
0.74
Feel more warmly towards the target
0.77
0.79
Understand why the target behaves like they do
0.60
0.77
Guess what the target will think
0.81
0.89
Predict how the target will feel
0.78
0.83
Anticipate
The PTC model should predict social behavior (avoid/approach
perspective taking of others) and emotional outcomes critical to both
laboratory and real-world studies.
Participant Demographics
Study 1
Study 2
Study 3
N
401
99
100
Age
38 (SD = 12.1)
41(SD = 13.8)
38.44 (SD =13.01)
Gender
55.4 % Female
50 % Female
42% Female
74% Caucasian
81% Caucasian
0.72
0.79
Anticipate how the target will behave
0.73
0.83
Figure out how the target thinks
0.73
0.91
Study 1 : Determining Lay Beliefs about Perspective-Taking
Consequences (PTC Scale)
Definition of PT
Study 1, Result: PTC Scale Factor Analyses
• Generated 50 test items assessing change to the self,
empathize, and anticipate constructs.
Stable self
PTC
scale
Condition 2
Less stable self
100
0
50
100
r(97) = -.217, p < .05
r(97) = -.203, p < .05
8
StableSelf
*
7
6
Change
the Self
Liked Targets
How much do you want to
perform PT task for the target?
Disliked Targets
Task 3 - Like
How much do you like the target?
Degree of connectedness
between the person you
are now and the person
you will be in a year.
df
t
p
97
-3.156
.002
Study 3, Result: Lay Belief of PT Predicting Task
Preference for Liked/Disliked Targets
5
MLK
4
3
1
3
5
7
Lay belief: Change the self
9
r
p
.306
< .005
Lama .152
.130
Hitler .310
< .005
Putin .186
.064
Contrary to our
prediction, people
who believed PT
will change the self
were more open to
take PT of liked and
disliked targets.
Summary
-2.327
.022
4
Anticipate
97
-1.290
.200
3
*p <.05;**p <.01
**
2
Empathize
r(97) = -.045, p > .05
Task 2 -Want
97
Changethe
Self
100
18 - item PTC scale
Empathize
5
50
Study 3: Measuring Behavioral Outcomes Towards
Liked/Disliked Targets & Lay Beliefs about PT
2
LessStableSelf
0
Connectedness with the future-self was lower in people who
empathize with the target and believed that self will change after PT.
1
1
• Participants imagined an average person and responded to initial
items on 7-point Likert scale.
50
Anticipate
9
Study 2 Result: Manipulating Lay Beliefs of PT
9
50 item
PTC
Scale
Condition 1
9
Task 3
Task 2
Read and write
a short
summary of
the passage
Empathize
Connectedness with the future self
Study 2: Stability of the Future Self and Lay Belief of PT
81% Caucasian
“Please take
the
perspective of
an average
person”
0
• Bootstrapped parallel factor analysis with oblique rotation suggested 3
factors.
• Retained 6 highest unique items per factor (α’s > .50).
• The scale has reliable structure across studies.
All experiments were conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk platform
“Perspective taking is imagining
what someone is thinking and
feeling and how the person is
affected by his/her situation.
perspective taking is imagining
oneself in another’s shoes. ”
Change
the Self
Task 1 - PTC Scale
Foresee how the target will react
Task 1
Race
Study 2, Result: Connectedness with the Future Self & PTC
Perspective-Taking Consequences (PTC) Scale Items
Want
•
[email protected]
Anticipate
Our stability manipulation
worked! There was a significant
difference between two groups
in reporting beliefs about PT.
• Lay beliefs about perspective-taking parallel empirical findings,
but individuals tend to believe PT will not significantly change
the self. However, making the self feel less stable makes
individuals more likely to believe the self will change after
perspective-taking. Having a belief that perspective-taking
changes the self predicts more openness to taking others’
perspective.
• This demonstrates that beliefs about the effects of perspectivetaking on the self are closely linked to the stability of our identity
and can predict perspective-taking behavior towards others.