Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39244679›Full record

Observational studyAging & mental health2025

Mindsets over matter: priming theory of mind improves older adults' mental state attributions about naturalistic social interactions.

Anne C Krendl, Colleen S Hughes

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Aging & mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Resilience Through Social Connectedness and Cognition: Is Theory of Mind a Form of Enrichment for Older adults?The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025
    Article
  2. Age Differences in Mental State Inference of Sarcasm: Contributions of Facial Emotion Recognition and Cognitive Performance.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Anne C KrendlDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Colleen S HughesDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.

Funding

Understanding how social connectedness protects older adults' cognitive health: the role of social cognitionR01AG070931 · NIA · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · PI KRENDL, ANNE CATHERINE, PERRY, BREA LOUISE · 2020 to 2024
$3.6M
Dynamic approaches to understanding social cognitive aging: A social network neuroscience approachR01AG075044 · NIA · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · PI Richard F Betzel, Anne Catherine Krendl · 2022 to 2026
$2.7M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG070931NIA NIH HHS R01 AG075044
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAging is associated with declines in theory of mind - the ability to infer the mental states of others. We examined whether priming theory of mind mindsets actively (Study 1) and passively (Study 2) improved older adults' performance.

methodAcross two studies, participants completed a novel question-and-answer theory of mind task using the television show

resultsMindsets were associated with small-to-medium increases in theory of mind performance. Cognitive ability did not explain these improvements.

conclusionThese findings suggest that theory of mind performance can be improved through motivation (e.g. mindsets); cognitive function (e.g. ability) does not moderate this relationship.

Indexed as

AgingExecutive FunctionSocial InteractionSocial PerceptionTheory of MindAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMemory, EpisodicMiddle AgedYoung Adultepisodic memoryinterventionnaturalistic videoolder adultsTheory of mind

Identifiers

PMID39244679
PMCPMC11864900

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.