Theory of Mind Negatively Predicts Reflection and Positively Predicts Moral Understanding

A key determinant of viewers’ ability to derive moral understanding from movies may be their ability to understand and reflect upon the beliefs that underlie behavior. We therefore tested whether a measure of theory of mind would predict reflection on a movie and viewers’ moral understanding of the film. We asked participants to write expressively about a lesson they derived from a film they had previously seen or were shown. Two studies demonstrated that theory of mind negatively predicted reflection but positively predicted moral understanding. This suggests that theory of mind aids in the online processing of films but may render further reflection superfluous. Furthermore, exploratory analyses indicating that a film's deviation from one's moral foundations spurs retrospective imaginative involvement

Exploratory research · Moral disengagement · Theory of mind · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Media Influence and Health · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment