Is mind-mindedness trait-like or a quality of close relationships? Evidence from descriptions of significant others, famous people, and works of art

Meins, E.; Fernyhough, C.; Harris-Waller, J.

Abstract

The four studies reported here sought to explore the nature of the construct of mind-mindedness. In Study 1, involving 37 mothers of 5- to 8-year-old children, mothers’ verbal mind-minded descriptions of their children were positively correlated with their mind-minded descriptions of their current romantic partner. Participants in Studies 2 (N = 114), 3 (N = 173), and 4 (N = 153) were young adults who provided written descriptions of: a close friend and their current romantic partner (Study 2); two specified famous people, two works of art, and a close friend (Study 3); a specified famous person, a famous person of the participant’s choice, and a close friend (Study 4). Study 2 obtained paper-and-pen written descriptions, whereas participants completed descriptions in electronic format in Studies 3 and 4. Mind-minded descriptions of friends and partners were positively correlated, but there was no relation between mind-minded descriptions of a friend and the tendency to describe famous people or works of art in mind-minded terms. Levels of mind-mindedness were higher in descriptions of friends compared with descriptions of famous people or works of art. Administration format was unrelated to individuals’ mind-mindedness scores. The results suggest that mind-mindedness is a facet of personal relationships rather than a trait-like quality.

Citation

Meins, E., Fernyhough, C., & Harris-Waller, J. (2014). Is mind-mindedness trait-like or a quality of close relationships? Evidence from descriptions of significant others, famous people, and works of art. Cognition, 130(3), 417-427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2013.11.009

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 14, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Jan 20, 2014
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Jun 4, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 20, 2015
• Journal: Cognition
• Print ISSN: 0010-0277
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 130
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 417-427
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2013.11.009
• Keywords: Mind-mindedness, Adulthood, Relationships, Theory of mind.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1425927