Theory of Mind, Literary Fiction, and Academic - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Theory of Mind, Literary Fiction, and Academic Advising

Peter L. Hagen, Stockton University

Julie Givans Voller,

Phoenix College:

a Maricopa Community CollegeSlide2

Learning outcomes for this session;Understand the connection between Theory of Mind and academic advising

Recognize

the effect reading literary fiction has on the development of Theory of Mind

Recognize

how research on literary fiction and

ToM

may influence the education of academic advisorsSlide3

What is “Theory of Mind”?A concept from cognitive neuroscience

Our ability to think about other people’s thoughts

It’s called a “theory” because we cannot know another person’s mind directly

So we do the next best thing: we use our imaginations to make inferences about the other person’s thoughts based on what we can observe

We infer their thoughts, motivations, and mental states

And form those inferences into a

storySlide4

Theory of Mind and AdvisingIn order to understand how students make meaning for themselves, academic advisors must have a highly developed capacity for Theory of Mind, that is, for making attributions about their students’ minds.

Good

advisors imagine what it must be like to be that student.

Imagination

and interpretation allow us to serve the student beyond the basics of information-giving. Slide5

Neuroscience and Theory of Mind

The region of the brain responsible for making these inferences about other people is the

Right

Temporo

-Parietal Junction

(RTPJ)Slide6

“The RTPJ region shows a high response only when the story describes someone’s thoughts and beliefs”

(

Saxe and Young, 2014, p. 208). Slide7

Theory of Mind and Literary Fiction

“

We submit that fiction affects

ToM

processes because it forces us to engage in mind-reading and character construction. Not any kind of fiction achieves that, though. Our proposal is that it is literary fiction that forces the reader to engage in

ToM

processes” (Kidd and

Castano, 2013, p. 377) Slide8

What is “literary fiction”?

Engages the

reader to push for meaning, fill in gaps, and search for

understanding.

Requires readers to infer

states of mind from a raised eyebrow or a studied

silence. States

of mind are not always overtly

stated.

Helps

us to understand

reality; it does not merely entertain.

Try

goodreads.com

or

gutenberg.org

Can be thought of as one end of a spectrum rather than a distinct type of literatureSlide9

For example:Shakespeare

wants the audience to believe

(and

we know that he wants this) that Romeo really thinks that Juliet is dead even though we know she is

not

Readers of literary fiction must deal with

multiple levels of mind reading at the same time. Slide10

Literary Fiction and Academic Advising

“Just

as in real life, the worlds of literary fiction are replete with complicated individuals whose inner lives are rarely easily discerned but warrant exploration. The worlds of fiction, though, pose fewer risks than the real world, and they present opportunities to consider the experiences of others without facing the potentially threatening consequences of that engagement”

(

Kidd and

Castano

, 2013, p. 378). Slide11

Conclusion #1

R

eading

literary fiction improves our capacity to advise well because it enhances our Theory of Mind. Slide12

Conclusion #2

Narrative

processes are vital to the practice of academic advising; these processes are strengthened by giving the RTPJ a workout—by reading literary fiction. Slide13

Conclusions #3

If these things are true,

Theory of Mind

and literary fiction

should influence

the

education and hiring of

advisors.

Specifically, academic advisors should read literary fiction to enhance their Theory of Mind.Slide14

Here are the opening paragraphs to Pride and Prejudice:

Let’s give it a try…Slide15

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a

neighbourhood

, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that

Netherfield

Park is let at last?"

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.

"

You

want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."

This was invitation enough. Slide16
Slide17

Thank you! And happy reading.Slide18

Bibliography and Further Reading

Kidd, David C., and Emanuele

Castano

(2013). “Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind.

Science

, vol. 342, pp. 377-380.

Leverage

, Paula, Howard Mancing, Richard

Schweickert

, and Jennifer Marston William (2011).

Theory of Mind and Literature

. West Lafayette, IN, Purdue University Press

.

Saxe, R., and N. Kanwisher (2003). “People thinking about people: The role of the

temporo

-parietal junction in “theory of mind,”

NeuroImage

19, pp. 1835-1842.

Saxe, Rebecca, and Anna Wexler (2005). “Making Sense of Another’s Mind: The role of the Right

Temporo-parietal Junction.” Neuropsychologia 48 pp. 1391-1399.

Saxe, Rebecca, and Liane Lee Young (2014). “Theory of Mind: How Brains Think About Thoughts.”

The Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Neuroscience Vol 2

. Oxford: Oxford University Press, PP 204-213

.

Zunshine

, Lisa (2006).

Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel.

Columbus, Ohio State University Press.