Theory of Mind and Machiavellianism as Factors of Intragroup Relations in Adolescence

274

Abstract

Objective. Analysis of differences in social cognition skills (theory of mind) and Machiavellianism in adolescents with different levels of popularity and preference among peers.
Background. Despite the possible consensus on the positive relationship of high social cognition skills and successful socialization, it remains important to study how theory of mind and manipulative behavior are involved in the popularity and social preferences of adolescents.
Study design. The paper studied the differences in the theory of mind and Machiavellianism in adolescents with different levels of popularity and social preference in the peer group. Statistical differences were tested using non-parametric differences tests.
Participants. 166 students (grades 6–8) from schools in the Moscow region. Age from 13 to 14 years (M = 13,39; SD = 0,49), including 90 girls (54,2%).
Measurements. Theory of mind was assessed using the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test and tasks for understanding false believes of a higher order. The Russian-language version of the Mach scale is IV. Sociometric method.
Results. Adolescents choose peers with high social cognition skills as friends. Machiavellianism plays into the evaluation of popularity and social preference by peers. Adolescents with a higher level of Machiavellianism are rated by their peers as more popular and preferred for communication.
Conclusions. Popular teens and teens chosen to socialize differ in social cognition and machiavellian skills.

General Information

Keywords: social preferences; popularity; theory of mind; Machiavellianism; adolescence

Journal rubric: Empirical Research

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2023140307

Funding. The reported study was funded by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), project number 22-28-00474, https://rscf.ru/project/22-28-00474/

Received: 14.06.2023

Accepted:

For citation: Lebedeva E.I., Filippou O.Y., Vilenskaya G.A., Ulanova A.Y., Pavlova N.S. Theory of Mind and Machiavellianism as Factors of Intragroup Relations in Adolescence. Sotsial'naya psikhologiya i obshchestvo = Social Psychology and Society, 2023. Vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 99–117. DOI: 10.17759/sps.2023140307. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

  1. Bezrukavaya Ya.V., Kochetova T.V. Osobennosti statusnogo povedeniya lyudei s raznymi urovnyami makiavellizma [Features of status behavior of people with different levels of Machiavellianism]. Psihologo-pedagogicheskie issledovaniya = Psychological-Educational Studies, 2013. Vol. 5(2), pp. 81–95. (In Russ.).
  2. Znakov V.V. Metodika issledovaniya makiavellizma lichnosti [Methodology for the study of Machiavellian personality]. Sibirskij psihologicheskij zhurnal = Siberian Psychological Journal, 2001, no. 14–15, pp. 122–128. (In Russ.).
  3. Konareva I.N., Sergienko M.I. Osobennosti makiavellizma i kommunikativnogo povedeniya v yunosheskom vozraste [Features of Machiavellianism and communicative behavior in adolescence]. Uchenye zapiski Krymskogo federal'nogo universiteta imeni V.I. Vernadskogo. Sociologiya. Pedagogika. Psihologiya = Scientific notes of the Crimean Federal University named after V.I. Vernadsky. Sociology. Pedagogy. Psychology, 2017. Vol. 3(1), pp. 56–64. (In Russ.).
  4. Lebedeva E.I. Model' psihicheskogo i social'no-emocional'naya kompetentnost' detej mladshego shkol'nogo vozrasta (po ocenkam roditelej i pedagogov) [Theory of mind and socio-emotional competence in children of primary school age (as estimated by parents and teachers)]. Vestnik Permskogo universiteta. Filosofia. Psihologia. Sociologia = Bulletin of the Perm University. Philosophy. Psychology. Sociology, 2022. Vol. 2, pp. 277–286. DOI:10.17072/2078-7898/2022-2-277-28 (In Russ.).
  5. Lebedeva E.I., Vilenskaya G.A., Ulanova A.U., Filippu O.U., Pavlova N.S. Social'naya kompetentnost' u podrostkov s raznym urovnem gravity modeli psihicheskogo [Social competence in adolescents with different levels of development of theory of mind]. Psihologicheskij zhurnal = Psychological journal, 2023. Vol. 44(1), pp. 43–54. DOI:10.31857/S020595920024342-2 (In Russ.).
  6. Pogodina A.V., Larina A.D. Makiavellizm i sociometricheskij status podrostka v uchebnoj gruppe [Machiavellianism and sociometric status of a teenager in a study group]. Psihologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie = Psychological Science and Education, 2007. Vol. 12(5), pp. 252–258. (In Russ.).
  7. Sergienko E.A., Lebedeva E.I., Ulanova A.U. Model' psihicheskogo – sposobnost' ponimaniya mira lyudej [Theory of mind – the ability to understand the world of people]. In A.L. Zhuravlev, E.A. Sergienko (eds.). Razrabotka ponyatij sovremennoj psihologii. T. 1 [Development of concepts of modern psychology. T. 1]. Moscow: Publ. Institute of Psychology Russian Academy of Science, 2018, pp. 269–342. (In Russ.).
  8. Sergienko E.A., Ulanova A.U., Lebedeva E.I. Model' psihicheskogo. Struktura i dinamika [Theory of mind. Structure and dynamics]. Moscow: Publ. Institute of Psychology Russian Academy of Science, 2020. 503 p. (In Russ.).
  9. Sobkin V.S., Kalashnikova E.A. Vzaimootnosheniya s roditelyami podrostkov iz polnyh/nepolnyh semej i status sredi odnoklassnikov [Relationships with parents of teenagers from complete/single parent families and status among classmates]. Social'naya psihologiya i obshchestvo = Social psychology and society, 2023. Vol. 14(1), pp. 55–73. DOI:10.17759/sps.2023140104 (In Russ.).
  10. Social'naya psihologiya: praktikum. Uchebnoe posobie [Social psychology: practical work. Textbook]. In L.G. Pochebut, S.D. Gurievoj, V.A. Chiker (eds.). Saint-Petersburg: Publ. Piter, 2023. 710 p. (In Russ.).
  11. Ulanova A.YU., Lebedeva E.I., Vilenskaya G.A., Pavlova N.S., Filippu O.YU. Vzaimosvyaz' ponimaniya mental'nyh sostoyanij po vyrazheniyu lica i social'noj kompetentnosti, izmerennoj uchitelyami u detej shkol'nogo vozrasta [Interrelation of understanding of mental states by facial expression and social competence measured by teachers in school-age children]. In Materialy Mezhdunarodnoj yubilejnoj nauchnoj konferencii, posvyashchennoj 50-letiyu sozdaniya Instituta psihologii RAN «Istoriya, sovremennost' i perspektivy razvitiya psihologii v sisteme Rossijskoj akademii nauk» (g. Moskva, 16-19 noyabrya 2022) [Proceedings of the International Anniversary Scientific Conference dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences "History, modernity and prospects for the development of psychology in the system of the Russian Academy of Sciences" (Moscow, November 16–19, 2022)]. Moscow: Publ. Institute of Psychology Russian Academy of Science, 2022, pp. 612–614.
  12. Arefi M. Present of a causal model for social function based on theory of mind with mediating of Machiavellian beliefs and hot empathy. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010. Vol. 5, pp. 694–697. DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.167
  13. Artinger F., Exadaktylos F., Koppel H., Sääksvuori L. In others' shoes: do individual differences in empathy and theory of mind shape social preferences? PLoS One, 2014. Vol. 9(4), pp. e92844. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0092844
  14. Banerjee R., Henderson L. Social‐cognitive factors in childhood social anxiety: A preliminary investigation. Social Development, 2001. Vol. 10(4), pp. 558–572. DOI:10.1111/1467-9507.00180
  15. Barlow A., Qualter P., Stylianou M. Relationships between Machiavellianism, emotional intelligence and theory of mind in children. Personality and individual Differences, 2010. Vol. 48(1), pp. 78–82. DOI:10.1016/j.paid.2009.08.021
  16. Baron-Cohen S., Wheelwright S., Spong A., Scahill V., Lawson J. Are intuitive physics and intuitive psychology independent? A test with children with Asperger Syndrome. Journal of developmental and learning disorders, 2001. Vol. 5(1), pp. 47–78.
  17. Białecka-Pikul M., Kołodziejczyk A., Bosacki S. Advanced theory of mind in adolescence: Do age, gender and friendship style play a role? Journal of Adolescence, 2017. Vol. 56, pp. 145–156. DOI:10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.02.009
  18. Białecka‐Pikul M., Stępień‐Nycz M., Szpak M., Grygiel P., Bosacki S., Devine R.T., Hughes C. Theory of mind and peer attachment in adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 2021. Vol. 31(4), pp. 1202–1217. DOI:10.1111/jora.12630
  19. Bosacki S. Theory of mind and peer relationships in middle childhood and adolescence. Theory of Mind in Middle Childhood and Adolescence. Routledge, 2021, pp. 142–168. DOI:10.4324/9780429326899-10
  20. Caputi M., Lecce S., Pagnin A., Banerjee R. Longitudinal effects of theory of mind on later peer relations: the role of prosocial behavior. Developmental psychology, 2012. Vol. 48(1), pp. 257–270. DOI:10.1037/a0025402
  21. Caputi M., Cugnata F., Brombin C. Theory of mind and loneliness: Effects of a conversation‐based training at school. International Journal of Psychology, 2021. Vol. 56(2), pp. 257–265. DOI:10.1002/ijop.12707
  22. Caravita S.C.S., Di Blasio P., Salmivalli C. Unique and interactive effects of empathy and social status on involvement in bullying. Social development, 2009. Vol. 48(1), pp. 140–163. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2008.00465.x
  23. DiLalla L.F., John S.G. A genetically informed examination of the relations between inaccurate emotion expression and recognition and experiencing peer victimization. Social Development, 2020. Vol. 29(2), pp. 391–410. DOI:10.1111/sode.12410
  24. Doenyas C. Self versus other oriented social motivation, not lack of empathic or moral ability, explains behavioral outcomes in children with high theory of mind abilities. Motivation and Emotion, 2017. Vol. 41(6), pp. 683–697. DOI:10.1007/s11031-017-9636-4
  25. Endedijk H.M., Cillessen A.H.N. Computerized sociometric assessment for preschool children. International journal of behavioral development, 2015. Vol. 39(4), pp. 383–388. DOI:10.1177/0165025414561706
  26. Fink E., Begeer S., Peterson C.C., Slaughter V., de Rosnay M. Friends, friendlessness, and the social consequences of gaining a theory of mind. The British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 2015. Vol. 39(1), pp. 27–30. DOI:10.1111/bjdp.12080
  27. Gabriel E.T., Oberger R., Schmoeger M., Deckert M., Vockh S., Auff E., Willinger U. Cognitive and affective Theory of Mind in adolescence: developmental aspects and associated neuropsychological variables. Psychological research, 2021. Vol. 85, pp. 533–553. DOI:10.1007/s00426-019-01263-6
  28. Hawley P.H. Prosocial and coercive configurations of resource control in early adolescence: A case for the well-adapted Machiavellian. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 2003. Vol. 49(3), pp. 279–309. DOI:10.1353/mpq.2003.0013
  29. Koerber S., Osterhaus C. Some but not all aspects of (advanced) theory of mind predict loneliness. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 2020. Vol. 38(1), pp. 144–148. DOI:10.1111/bjdp.12302
  30. Liddle B., Nettle D. Higher-order theory of mind and social competence in school-age children. Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology, 2006. Vol. 4(3–4), pp. 231–244. DOI:10.1556/jcep.4.2006.3-4.3
  31. Longobardi E., Spataro P., Rossi-Arnaud C. Direct and indirect associations of empathy, theory of mind, and language with prosocial behavior: Gender differences in primary school children. The Journal of genetic psychology, 2019. Vol. 180(6), pp. 266–279. DOI:10.1080/00221325.2019.1653817
  32. Osterhaus C., Bosacki S.L. Looking for the lighthouse: A systematic review of advanced theory-of-mind tests beyond preschool. Developmental Review, 2022. Vol. 64, pp. 101021. DOI:10.1016/j.dr.2022.101021
  33. Paal T., Bereczkei T. Adult theory of mind, cooperation, Machiavellianism: The effect of mindreading on social relations. Personality and individual differences, 2007. Vol. 43(3), pp. 541–551. DOI:10.1016/j.paid.2006.12.021
  34. Peeters M., Cillessen A.H.N., Scholte R.H.J. Clueless or powerful? Identifying subtypes of bullies in adolescence. Journal of youth and adolescence, 2010. Vol. 39, pp. 1041–1052. DOI:10.1007/s10964-009-9478-9
  35. Poznyak E., Morosan L., Perroud N., Speranza M., Badoud D., Debbané M. Roles of age, gender and psychological difficulties in adolescent mentalizing. Journal of adolescence, 2019. Vol. 74, pp. 120–129. DOI:10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.06.007
  36. Rauthmann J.F. The Dark Triad and interpersonal perception: Similarities and differences in the social consequences of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2012. Vol. 3(4), pp. 487–496. DOI:10.1177/1948550611427608
  37. Renouf A., Brendgen M., Séguin J.R., Vitaro F., Boivin M., Dionne G., Tremblay R.E., Pérusse D. Interactive links between theory of mind, peer victimization, and reactive and proactive aggression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2010. Vol. 38(8), pp. 1109–1123. DOI:10.1007/s10802-010-9432-z
  38. Repacholi B.M., Slaughter V., Pritchard M., Gibbs V. Theory of mind, Machiavellianism and social functioning in childhood. In Repacholi B., Slaughter V. (eds.). Individual differences in theory of mind: Implications for typical and atypical development. Psychology Press, 2003, pp. 67–97.
  39. Roberts R., McCrory E., Bird G., Sharp M., Roberts L., Viding E. Thinking about others' minds: mental state inference in boys with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits. Journal Abnormal Child Psychology, 2020. Vol. 48(10), pp. 1279–1290. DOI:10.1007/s10802-020-00664-1
  40. Slaughter V. Early adoption of Machiavellian attitudes: Implications for children’s interpersonal relationships. In Barry C.T., Kerig P.K., Stellwagen K.K., Barry T.D. (eds.). Narcissism and Machiavellianism in youth. Washington, DC: APA Press, 2010, pp. 25–45. DOI:10.1037/12352-010
  41. Slaughter V., Imuta K., Peterson C.C., Henry J.D. Meta‐analysis of theory of mind and peer popularity in the preschool and early school years. Child development, 2015. Vol. 86(4), pp. 1159–1174. DOI:10.1111/cdev.12372
  42. Smith P. Bullying and theory of mind: A review. Current psychiatry reviews, 2017. Vol. 13(2), pp. 90–95. DOI:10.2174/1573400513666170502123214
  43. Smith S., Dutcher K., Askar M., Talwar V., Bosacki S. Emotional competencies in emerging adolescence: relations between teacher ratings and student self-reports. International Journal of adolescence and Youth, 2019. Vol. 24(1), pp. 19–28. DOI:10.1080/02673843.2018.1455059
  44. Spithoven A.W.M., Bijttebier P., Goossens L. It is all in their mind: A review on information processing bias in lonely individuals. Clinical Psychology Review, 2017. Vol. 58, pp. 97–114. DOI:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.003
  45. Stellwagen K.K., Kerig P.K. Dark triad personality traits and theory of mind among school-age children. Personality and Individual Differences, 2013. Vol. 54(1), pp. 123–127. DOI:10.1016/j.paid.2012.08.019
  46. Sutton J., Keogh E. Components of Machiavellian beliefs in children: Relationships with personality. Personality and individual differences, 2001. Vol. 30(1), pp. 137–148. DOI:10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00017-9
  47. Turkstra L.S., Mutlu B., Ryan C.W., Despins Stafslien E.H., Richmond E.K., Hosokawa E., Duff M.C. Sex and gender differences in emotion recognition and theory of mind after TBI: a narrative review and directions for future research. Frontiers in neurology, 2020. Vol. 11, pp. 59. DOI:10.3389/fneur.2020.00059
  48. van den Berg Y.H., Deutz M.H., Smeekens S., Cillessen A.H. Developmental pathways to preference and popularity in middle childhood. Child Development, 2017. Vol. 88(5), pp. 1629–1641. DOI:10.1111/cdev.12706
  49. Van der Wal R.C., Karremans J.C., Cillessen A.H.N. Causes and consequences of children's forgiveness. Child Development Perspectives, 2017, no. 11(2), pp. 97–101. DOI:10.1111/cdep.12216
  50. Vilenskaya G.A., Lebedeva E.I. Theory of Mind and Behavioral Control in Children with and without Borderline Intellectual Functioning. Advances in Cognitive Research, Artificial Intelligence and Neuroinformatics: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Cognitive Sciences, Intercognsci-2020, October 10-16, 2020, Moscow, Russia. Springer International Publishing, 2021, pp. 68–74. DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-71637-0_7
  51. Weimer A.A., Dowds S.J.P., Fabricius W.V., Schwanenflugel P.J., Suh G.W. Development of constructivist theory of mind from middle childhood to early adulthood and its relation to social cognition and behavior. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2017. Vol. 154, pp. 28–45. DOI:10.1016/j.jecp.2016.10.002
  52. Wellman H.M. Friends, friendlessness, and social cognition. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 2015. Vol. 33(1), pp. 24–26. DOI:10.1111/bjdp.12073
  53. Wright M.F. Popularity and social preference pressure from parents, friends, and the media: linkages to aggressive and prosocial behaviors. Youth and Society, 2020. Vol. 52(3), pp. 332–348. DOI:10.1177/0044118X18773222

Information About the Authors

Evgenia I. Lebedeva, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher, Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IP RAS), Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0888-8273, e-mail: evlebedeva@yandex.ru

Olga Y. Filippou, Master of Psychological and Pedagogical Education, postgraduate, Institute of Psychology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9377-3250, e-mail: olga.filippou7@gmail.com

Galina A. Vilenskaya, PhD in Psychology, Leading Researcher, Institute of Psychology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6089-155X, e-mail: vga2001@mail.ru

Anna Y. Ulanova, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher, Institute of Psychology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8757-0916, e-mail: rachugina@gmail.com

Nadezhda S. Pavlova, PhD in Psychology, Research Associate, Institute of Psychology RAS, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1518-1137, e-mail: makarachka@mail.ru

Metrics

Views

Total: 500
Previous month: 33
Current month: 11

Downloads

Total: 274
Previous month: 15
Current month: 6