Perspective Taking

Perspective taking is the ability to mentally assume a viewpoint that is different from one’s own. The ability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes and to see things through someone else’s eyes is an important prerequisite for successful communication and cooperation. Moreover, realizing that closing one’s eyes does not make oneself invisible to an antagonist, or that a driver of an approaching motor vehicle who stares at his cellphone may not stop for a pedestrian, can be of vital importance. Perspective taking may also play a crucial role in navigation, for example, when we have to recognize a spatial layout from a different direction to find our way back home. The term perspective taking has been used in various contexts and domains, referring to ...