Watching closely: Spatial distance influences theory of mind responding in film viewers

Shot scale in film, that is the apparent spatial distance of characters from the camera, is one of the most important compositional elements in a film shot guiding media audiences’ attention. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which apparent spatial distance of fictional characters can evoke theory of mind responding in film viewers. Theory of mind, referring to the capacity of attributing mental states to others, is considered fundamental in audiences’ character involvement and narrative understanding, and it presumably mediates narrative effects. Four short animated movies were annotated for shot scale distribution and presented to participants (N = 52) in a within-subject design. Participants were asked to retell the story of the films and fill in questionnaires on narrative experience. Skin conductance was also measured during exposure. Story-descriptions were content analysed for theory of mind responses. In a Poisson-regression model average spatial distance predicted theory of mind response indicating that increasing spatial proximity triggered higher occurrence of mental state references in participants’ story-descriptions. The findings give insight into how the visual presentation of characters shapes audiences’ mental models of the story

Social cognition in older adults: Associations with ageing, general cognition, and genetic, neuroimaging, and socioenvironmental factors

Social cognition refers to the range of skills and abilities that enable humans to detect and process information from one’s social environment, formulate a mental understanding of one’s social situation, and behave in socially appropriate ways. These include abilities such as theory of mind (ToM; also referred to as cognitive empathy), affective empathy, and social perception, as well as social behaviour. A growing body of research has sought to gain an understanding of how these phenomena manifest in the ageing process, as opposed to younger adults. The general aim of this thesis was to study the changes in social cognition with ageing, examine its relationship with other cognitive functions, and determine its association with genetic, neuroanatomical, and socioenvironmental factors. The first study explored the effect of polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene on empathy using meta-analysis of existing studies including novel data from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (Sydney MAS). The second study developed a short-form version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), an assessment for theory of mind, via machine learning algorithms using Sydney MAS data. The third study explored social cognitive performance in Sydney MAS participants with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. The fourth study identified key neuroimaging regions associated with empathy using volumetric analysis. The fifth study comprehensively indexed social cognition in nondemented community-dwelling older adults, and identified which subdomains were related to the ageing process and to other factors. This thesis found that normal ageing saw mild changes in ToM and social perception, and executive function somewhat compensated for this performance. Neurocognitive disorders were associated with far-reaching changes in these subdomains and some changes in social behavior. Empathy was related to volumes of the insula, supramarginal gyrus, and frontal lobe small vessel disease, and was not related to genetic sensitivity to oxytocin. A short-form version of the RMET was also developed. These findings improve on the understanding of social cognitive abilities in older adults, and facilitate the adoption of social cognition measures in clinical settings involving older adults