The ability to read minds — understanding others’ feelings and intentions — plays a critical role in successful cooperation.
A study at the University of Birmingham discovered that individuals with strong mindreading skills, or “theory of mind” (ToM), excel at teamwork, especially when paired with similarly skilled partners.
Understanding Mindreading and Cooperation
A person’s ‘mindreading’ ability can predict how well they cooperate, even with strangers.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham discovered that individuals with strong mindreading skills — meaning they can accurately interpret others’ emotions and intentions — tend to work together more effectively to complete tasks compared to those with weaker skills.
This ability, known as ‘theory of mind,’ is not directly linked to intelligence. However, it can be enhanced through training programs designed to improve cooperation, which could be beneficial in settings such as workplaces, schools, and colleges.
Exploring the Mindreading Connection
Lead researcher Roksana Markiewicz explained: “As a psychology researcher, I often get asked if I can read minds and while this is often said to me as a joke, humans do have mindreading abilities. Our study shows that these qualities are clearly important in activities that require cooperation.”
In the study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: LMC, the team measured theory of mind in over 400 participants. Participants were then sorted into pairs and joined a researcher on a Zoom call where they played a series of communication games. Each player had a set of visual clues on their screen, which could not be viewed by their partner. They had to communicate about the different sets of clues and use them together to solve a puzzle.
High ToM and Effective Collaboration
Players who had high theory of mind (ToM) abilities and who were matched with people who had similarly high ToM scores cooperated more effectively than players matched with low ToM abilities. The researchers suggest that this is because of a heightened ability to align in the same mental space and to recover rapidly when misalignment occurs.
Similarly, the researchers found that failures in cooperation were more common among participants with low ToM abilities. They suggest this is because these participants found it harder to find ways to align their thinking, leading to more frequent mistakes, and poorer recovery from mistakes.
Choosing the Right Partner for Cooperation
“We show for the first time that cooperation is not all about you,” says Roksana. “Even if you have excellent mindreading abilities yourself, it will still be advantageous to cooperate with someone with similar abilities, so choose your cooperation partner wisely!”
Reference: “It Is Not All About You: Communicative Cooperation Is Determined by Your Partner’s Theory of Mind Abilities as Well as Your Own” by Roksana Markiewicz, Foyzul Rahman, Ian Apperly, Ali Mazaheri and Katrien Segaert, 13 July 2023, Journal of Experimental Psychology.
DOI: 10.1037/xlm0001268
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