concept

mentalization

Also known as: mentalization, mentalizing, mentalisation

Facts (15)

Sources

Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART) frontiersin.org Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 8 facts

claimThe medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) are involved in mentalizing and Theory of Mind (ToM).

claimMeditators demonstrate increased activation of prosociality circuitry compared to non-meditators, supporting the development of mentalizing, empathic concern, and experience sharing.

claimMindfulness practice is believed to cultivate a framework for the interdependence of self within a social network and supports a cognitive framework for empathy and mentalizing.

claimMentalizing and perspective taking are considered major facets of prosociality and inter-relationships.

claimBrain areas involved in mentalizing include the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), temporal pole (TP), anterior insular cortex (AIC), precuneus, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC).

referenceStudies of adults have revealed enhancements in the functional activity of a social-cognitive network that supports mentalizing and empathy, as reported by Singer and Lamm (2009), De Greck et al. (2012), and Fan et al. (2011).

claimMentalizing increases future helping behavior.

claimExperience sharing or prosocial concern and mentalizing may engage separable neural systems.

Introduction to children's attachment - NCBI - NIH ncbi.nlm.nih.gov National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2 facts

claimEarly attachment relations are crucial for the development of later social relationships, emotional and stress regulation, self-control, mentalisation, and emotional maturity.

claimChildren who develop insecure or disorganised attachments, potentially due to neglect or placement in multiple foster care homes, are more likely to experience emotional and behavioural difficulties and struggle with emotional regulation and mentalisation.

The cross-cultural study of mind and behaviour: a word of caution link.springer.com Springer Apr 8, 2022 2 facts

claimPsychologists define 'theory of mind' (ToM) as the capacity to infer mental states from other human beings or agents, a capacity sometimes referred to as 'mentalization' (Carruthers and Smith 1996; Fonagy et al. 2004).

claimWhile the timing of acquiring mentalizing capacity may vary across cultural settings, theory of mind is considered a pan-human, likely pre-cultural, capability (Barrett et al. 2013; Lillard 1998).

Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org Frontiers 1 fact

claimPsychosocial healing is a component of human cooperation that comprises empathy, mirroring, emotional contagion, self-regulation, and mentalizing, and it recruits symbolic processes requiring shared meanings of symbols.

Overview of Anxiety Disorders - Psychiatry - MSD Manuals msdmanuals.com MSD Manuals 1 fact

referenceMarkowitz JC, Milrod B, Luyten P, et al. published the article 'Mentalizing in interpersonal psychotherapy' in the American Journal of Psychotherapy in 2019.

The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences - Frontiers frontiersin.org Frontiers Sep 27, 2017 1 fact

referenceThe mirror neuron system (MNS) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) node of the default mode network (DMN) interact significantly during mentalizing and embodied simulation processes, according to Molnar-Szakacs and Uddin (2013).