If I Take Your Perspective, Will I Understand You Better?

Abstract

Perspective-taking(PT) is the capacity to conceptualize and understand another’s point of view. Empathic accuracy(EA) is the proficiency with which one infers another’s thoughts and feelings. One’s capacity for PT is usually evaluated as a disposition, or trait, measured by subjective self-report scales. One’s capacity for EA, however, is typically assessed as an objective behavior. The difference in the way these two capacities are defined and evaluated may explain why studies rarely show a correlation between them. This study attempted to reconcile this discrepancy by defining PT as EA is defined: as a behavior—specifically, as one’s tendency to spontaneously use first-person pronouns (1PP) when inferring a close partner’s thoughts and feelings during an EA task.