Objectives: Previous research has shown that individual differences in Theory of Mind (ToM) are crucial for people's social relationships. However, very few studies have investigated this issue in ageing. The present study was designed to fill this gap and examine the associations between ToM and social relationships in elderly adults. In doing so, this study considered people's relationships with their relatives and friends, and examined the possible moderating role of social motivation.Method: The study involved 53 healthy older adults (age: M = 67.91; SD = 6.93; range: 60-85 years). All participants were tested collectively during a 2-hr session and completed a demographic questionnaire as well as a battery of tests assessing verbal ability (vocabulary and word fluency), ToM and social relationships. They also answered a social motivation question.Results: Results showed that individual differences in older people's ToM were overall significantly associated with those in relationships with friends, but not relatives. In addition, the Hayes moderating procedure showed that individual differences in ToM were related to those in friendships only for those people who had a high or medium level of social motivation.Conclusion: These findings underline the importance of motivation in guiding the use of ToM in everyday social interactions.

(2017). Theory of Mind and social relationships in older adults: the role of social motivation [journal article - articolo]. In AGING & MENTAL HEALTH. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10446/146434

Theory of Mind and social relationships in older adults: the role of social motivation

Bianco, Federica;
2017-01-01

Abstract

Objectives: Previous research has shown that individual differences in Theory of Mind (ToM) are crucial for people's social relationships. However, very few studies have investigated this issue in ageing. The present study was designed to fill this gap and examine the associations between ToM and social relationships in elderly adults. In doing so, this study considered people's relationships with their relatives and friends, and examined the possible moderating role of social motivation.Method: The study involved 53 healthy older adults (age: M = 67.91; SD = 6.93; range: 60-85 years). All participants were tested collectively during a 2-hr session and completed a demographic questionnaire as well as a battery of tests assessing verbal ability (vocabulary and word fluency), ToM and social relationships. They also answered a social motivation question.Results: Results showed that individual differences in older people's ToM were overall significantly associated with those in relationships with friends, but not relatives. In addition, the Hayes moderating procedure showed that individual differences in ToM were related to those in friendships only for those people who had a high or medium level of social motivation.Conclusion: These findings underline the importance of motivation in guiding the use of ToM in everyday social interactions.
articolo
2017
Lecce, Serena; Ceccato, Irene; Bianco, Federica; Rosi, Alessia; Bottiroli, Sara; Cavallini, Elena
(2017). Theory of Mind and social relationships in older adults: the role of social motivation [journal article - articolo]. In AGING & MENTAL HEALTH. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10446/146434
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Descrizione: This is an Accepted Manuscript version of the following article, accepted for publication in Aging & Mental Health. [Serena Lecce, Irene Ceccato, Federica Bianco, Alessia Rosi, Sara Bottiroli & Elena Cavallini (2017) Theory of Mind and social relationships in older adults: the role of social motivation, Aging & Mental Health, 21:3, 253-258]. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
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