Training social cognition: From imitation to Theory of Mind

Evidence for successful socio-cognitive training in typical adults is rare. This study attempted to improve Theory of Mind (ToM) and visual perspective taking in healthy adults by training participants to either imitate or to inhibit imitation. Twenty-four hours after training, all participants completed tests of ToM and visual perspective taking. The group trained to inhibit their tendency to imitate showed improved performance on the visual perspective-taking test, but not the ToM test. Neither imitation training, nor general inhibition training, had this effect. These results support a novel theory of social cognition suggesting that the same self-other discrimination process underlies imitation inhibition and perspective taking. Imitation, perspective taking and ToM are all pro-social processes – ways in which we reach out to others. Therefore, it is striking that perspective taking can be enhanced by suppressing imitation; to understand another, sometimes we need, not to get closer, but to pull away.

► We trained three groups of adults to either imitate, inhibit imitation or general inhibitory control.
► Twenty-four hours later all groups were tested on imitation–inhibition, Theory of Mind and perspective taking.
► Only imitation–inhibition training resulted in improved performance on perspective taking.
► We propose that the same self-other distinction process underlies imitation inhibition and perspective taking.