The Cognitive Basis of Social Interaction Across the Lifespan

Social interactions play a vital role in everyday life . Successful social interaction requires the ability to understand and predict internal events based on the mental states of others (such as intentions, desires, and emotions), which might be dubbed . The ability to understand and predict events in terms of other people’s mental states, such as their intentions, beliefs, emotions, and desires, is termed Theory of Mind [ToM]) . ToM is an indispensable component of the social interaction process . It is generally assumed that social cognition can help us understand ourselves, others, and the surrounding environment (Moskowitz & Olcaysoy Okten, 2017) . However, at present, most publications on social interaction and social cognition focus on a single age-group variable . Discussions on the possibilities of interactions between different developmental stages are rare . The edited book The Cognitive Basis of Social Interaction Across the Lifespan (2021) attempts to close this gap . It combines the research results involving different stages of development, presents the overall developmental landscape of social communication skills, and examines the cognitive basis of social interaction during one’s life cycle . The book comprises nine chapters. The first chapter, by one of the editors, Ferguson, offers an introduction to the whole book . In Chapter 2-6, the authors review and summarise the research findings of various developmental stages from infancy to old age . In Chapter 7 and 8, the authors discuss the influence of autism and neurodegenerative disorders on social abilities . In Chapter 9, Bradford, De Lillo and Ferguson summarise the present findings and future research prospects in this field. Chapter 1 clarifies the basic concepts of social interaction and emphasises the importance of the lifespan approach . Then, Ferguson outlines some classic theories and mechanisms of successful socialising (folk psychology and simulation theory, among others) and showcases a range of methodological approaches to this topic, emphasising the challenges inherent in applying them across the lifespan . Chapter 2 presents critical periods for the development of social interactions in infancy . Neonates and infants can participate in social interactions from birth; thus, the modes of social interaction have become increasingly complex . It is often noted that infants can distinguish between the animate and inanimate and prefer stimuli in the social context (Legerstee, 1992) . After one and a half years, the primordial form of ToM appears in the behaviour of infants, who may imitate the interaction of external objects with others (Carpenter et al ., 1998) . At the age of two, infants acquire simple ToM (or folk psychology) and shared intentionality . From approximately the age of four, children begin to develop meta-representational ToM . However, several recent studies have questioned this developmental model of social interactions . During infancy, babies may misinterpret reality and develop false beliefs . Regarding empirical experience, the answer to whether infants already have ToMs is pendent . Future research will require a more rigorous and scientific way to study the development of social interaction and cognition in infancy . In Chapter 3, Lecce and Devine present the cognitive basis of social interaction in early and mid childhood via ToM, which might enable children to see themselves from the point of view of others and, therefore, adjust their behaviours and beliefs . From early to middle childhood, the environment and social interactions of children change dramatically . The scope of their social interactions expands from intimate family members to peers and teachers (cf . Del Giudice, 2014; Kramer & Kowal, 2005) . The authors synthesise broad literature to assess the relationship between psychological theory and social interaction in early and mid childhood . The results of this study show that ToM is concerned with certain aspects of social interaction and social outcomes and that these relationships may be mediated by several factors, including the children themselves, situations, and social interaction skills . Future research should focus on the impact of intentional social behaviours and factors related to partners on ToM and social interaction . Chapter 4 focuses on the development of social cognition in adolescence . Puberty is a period of drastic physical and psychological change . These changes are essential for the maturation of social cognition . There are many special developments in adolescent social cognition, such as face perception, mentalisation, executive functioning, and emotional regulation . Romantic relationships and sexual experiences are crucial aspects of adolescents’ experiences . Many scholars have overlooked the point that adolescence is a sensitive period of romance and sexual development (Suleiman et al ., 2017) . The “current developmental cognitive literature lacks a framework for understanding how social cognitive development benefits mating psychology during adolescence”, as asserted by Donaldson and Mills (p . 70) in Chapter 4 . At the end of this period, adolescents no longer depend on their parents and instead take on BooK REViEW