ABSTRACT

Accumulating evidence points toward an association between older age and performance decrements in social cognition (SC). We explored age-related variations in four components of SC: emotion recognition, theory of mind, social judgment, and blame attributions. A total of 120 adults divided into three stages (18–34 years, 35–59 years, 60–85 years) completed a battery of SC. Between and within age-group differences in SC were investigated. Path analyses were used to identify relationships among the components. Emotion recognition and theory of mind showed differences beginning either in midlife, or after. Blame attributions and social judgment did not show a significant difference. However, social judgment varied significantly within groups. Path models revealed a relationship between emotion recognition and theory of mind. Findings highlight age-related differences in some components and a link between two components. Strategies promoting social functioning in aging might help to maintain or improve these abilities over time.

摘要

越来越多的证据表明，老龄化与社会认知 (SC) 表现下降之间存在关联。我们探讨了 SC 的四个组成部分与年龄相关的变化：情绪识别、心理理论、社会判断和责备归因。共有 120 名成年人分为三个阶段（18-34 岁、35-59 岁、60-85 岁）完成了 SC 电池组。调查了 SC 的年龄组之间和年龄组内的差异。路径分析用于识别组件之间的关系。情绪识别和心智理论显示出在中年或之后开始的差异。责备归因和社会判断没有显示出显着差异。然而，群体内的社会判断差异很大。路径模型揭示了情绪识别和心智理论之间的关系。调查结果突出了某些组件中与年龄相关的差异以及两个组件之间的联系。促进老龄化社会功能的策略可能有助于随着时间的推移保持或提高这些能力。