Mind-Mindedness

Mind-mindedness encapsulates an individual’s ability to adopt the perspective of another; that is, to understand that person’s mental states, including the person’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and, consequently, the person’s behavior. Central to mind-mindedness is the spontaneity of [Page 1416]individuals in recognizing the mental states of others as well as understanding how there may be variation in an individual’s mental states undergirding expressed behavior. As a consequence, mind-mindedness represents a critical capacity to support navigation of the social world throughout the life span, which may have significant implications for understanding the quality of social interactions. Furthermore, mind-mindedness also represents an important construct that crosses generations; in particular, mind-mindedness in parents may contribute to shaping their children’s social and emotional development, including the emergence of social ...