Abstract
Perceiving others' minds is a crucial component of social life. People do not, however, always ascribe minds to other people, and sometimes ascribe minds to non-people (e.g. God, gadgets). This article reviews when mind perception occurs, when it does not, and why mind perception is important. Causes of mind perception stem both from the perceiver and perceived, and include the need for social connection (perceiver) and a similarity to oneself (perceived). Mind perception also has profound consequences for both the perceiver and perceived. Ascribing mind confers an entity moral rights and also makes its actions meaningful. Understanding the causes and consequences of mind perception can explain when this most social of cognitive skills will be used, and why it matters.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 383-388 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Trends in Cognitive Sciences |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2010 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
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Causes and consequences of mind perception. / Waytz, Adam; Gray, Kurt; Epley, Nicholas; Wegner, Daniel M.
In: Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 8, 01.08.2010, p. 383-388.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Causes and consequences of mind perception
AU - Waytz, Adam
AU - Gray, Kurt
AU - Epley, Nicholas
AU - Wegner, Daniel M.
PY - 2010/8/1
Y1 - 2010/8/1
N2 - Perceiving others' minds is a crucial component of social life. People do not, however, always ascribe minds to other people, and sometimes ascribe minds to non-people (e.g. God, gadgets). This article reviews when mind perception occurs, when it does not, and why mind perception is important. Causes of mind perception stem both from the perceiver and perceived, and include the need for social connection (perceiver) and a similarity to oneself (perceived). Mind perception also has profound consequences for both the perceiver and perceived. Ascribing mind confers an entity moral rights and also makes its actions meaningful. Understanding the causes and consequences of mind perception can explain when this most social of cognitive skills will be used, and why it matters.
AB - Perceiving others' minds is a crucial component of social life. People do not, however, always ascribe minds to other people, and sometimes ascribe minds to non-people (e.g. God, gadgets). This article reviews when mind perception occurs, when it does not, and why mind perception is important. Causes of mind perception stem both from the perceiver and perceived, and include the need for social connection (perceiver) and a similarity to oneself (perceived). Mind perception also has profound consequences for both the perceiver and perceived. Ascribing mind confers an entity moral rights and also makes its actions meaningful. Understanding the causes and consequences of mind perception can explain when this most social of cognitive skills will be used, and why it matters.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955281179&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77955281179&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tics.2010.05.006
DO - 10.1016/j.tics.2010.05.006
M3 - Review article
VL - 14
SP - 383
EP - 388
JO - Trends in Cognitive Sciences
JF - Trends in Cognitive Sciences
SN - 1364-6613
IS - 8
ER -