# data[].attributes.body
When Scout was judging her teacher, Atticus told her to look at things in the teachers perspective. In this article it discussed perspective taking and how it is an important skill to learn. Though Scout doesn’t realize this important information in part one, in part two, she starts to use this skill.

http://wheelhouseworkshop.com/what-we-do/perspective-taking/

# data[].attributes.body
Perspective taking can really effect a situation  or event. Perspective taking allows for a person to better understand where someone else is coming from. This really affects To Kill a Mockingbird for perspective taking is something that kids need to learn at a young age. In both the book and real life, perspective taking allows for empathy and really shapes relationships.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Seeing and understanding the world from someone else's point of view is an important life skill. Learn why perspective taking is important and ways you can help children develop this essential skill.

April 19, 2016 - Author: ,

Understanding how someone else sees the world is an important life skill.

Each individual experiences the world from their own unique perspective. Two or 200 people can experience the same event and have completely different experiences. Why is it important we understand someone else's point of view?

We do not live in isolation and each person has to engage and work with others in order to be successful or get anything done. In order to work effectively with people, it's incredibly important that we are able to engage in perspective taking. We need to understand how someone else sees the world to be able to work together, communicate and show empathy and understanding. It's an expectation as an adult that you will listen to and respect the opinions and experiences of other people. It's a crucial skill for all relationships, friendships and professional and romantic relationships.

Perspective taking

In her book, "Mind in the Making: The seven essential life skills every child needs," author Ellen Galinsky describes perspective taking as involving several distinct skills, including:

Determining how someone else feels. In order to do this, we have to use our knowledge and understanding of someone while also ignoring our own opinions, thoughts or feelings and trying to figure out how the other person must be feeling or thinking.

Inhibitory control. In order to think about the world from someone else's understanding, we have to put our own thoughts on hold. When we use inhibitory control to engage in perspective taking, we are pausing our own desires to think of someone else.

Cognitive flexibility. In order to switch up our perspective, we have to look outside the box of our normal thinking. This requires cognitive flexibility in helping us change the focus of our attention from ourselves to someone else.

Perspective taking is really a social-emotional-intellectual skill, in that it requires hard work from our brains and also utilizes empathy and understanding.

Supporting the development of perspective taking

Michigan State University Extension has some tips on helping your child learn and practice perspective taking.

Walk the walk. Practicing what you preach can be harder than it seems, but practicing perspective taking with your child is good for you and them. It is easier to be fair and just if we take the time to see how a situation looks from someone else's point of view. Young children learn by watching you, so when you show them the value of perspective taking, they will engage in it too.

Talk about feelings. Anger, sadness and loneliness aren't bad words. Talk about all feelings with your child and teach them that all feelings are valid. Try repeating your child's words to you, describing what you see them doing, asking questions and letting them know you are there to talk if they want.

Acknowledge and respect feelings. Children will be better able to understand others' perspectives when they grow up knowing their thoughts, feelings and experiences were understood and respected. Engage with your child and reflect their feelings back to them, let them know you notice them and are there to help them.

Show them the other side. When you see a stranger stop to help someone on the street, talk to your child about what each person might be feeling or thinking. Help them build connections between people's actions and their motivations. It's also important to help children understand how their behaviors affect other people. If your child throws a toy and it hits another child, help your child build that cause-and-effect connection by talking about how their actions impact other people or their environment.

Train your little detective. Just like real-life detectives search for clues to solve a crime, people who are skilled at perspective taking look for clues to understand other people. Help your child develop these sleuthing skills by encouraging them to observe and evaluate other people's actions or behaviors.

Encourage community. Children learn to value and respect others through the building of community. Encourage your child not only to engage with others, but to work together, collaborate, problem solve and truly value their relationships with others. This mutual respect and sense of kinship will encourage your child to think about other people's points of view.

Create a loving and warm environment. When children are loved, respected and feel safe, they have the capacity and motivation to learn how to understand and respect the perspectives of others.

By teaching your child perspective taking skills, you are giving them all the tools they need to build healthy, happy and successful relationships throughout their lives.

For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Tags: early childhood development, family, life skills, msu extension, social and emotional development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The importance of perspective taking for young children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Seeing and understanding the world from someone else's point of view is an important life skill. Learn why perspective taking is important and ways you can help children develop this essential skill. April 19, 2016 - Author: , Each individual experiences the world from their own unique perspective.

# data[].attributes.body
Empathy is a driving force in the theme of To Kill A Mockingbird. In a majority of the book you see the change and growth in how empathy is showed and who shows it. Atticus is the biggest user of empathy for his job practically requires it. You see the evolution of Scouts use of empathy as well. This article really expand on these ideas and helps you understand how empathy shapes this book.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Photo credit: Globaldigitalcitizen.org

Empathy, according to many philosophers, is the basis of moral behavior. Without it, they theorize, nobody would be capable of caring about anyone else. Charities would be nonexistent, and the world would be extremely divided culturally and economically. Empathy, in some ways, is the reason why millions of people in poverty-stricken areas are alive today. However, many say that too much of a good thing is often a bad thing. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is possible that many characters have an overwhelming sense of empathy. When people reach this point, they seem to become vulnerable, as they are unable to see true evil. The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrate that empathy can be both an eye-opening force and a blinding one.

One character in To Kill a Mockingbird that shows the benefits of empathy is Jem. Very early in the novel, Jem demonstrates empathy after Dill reveals that he does not have a father. Scout, who is young and does not yet grasp the concept of empathy, continues to question Dill after this revelation. However, as she questions him, Jem silences her. He knows that the absence of a father in Dill's life takes an emotional toll on him. Another time where Jem is seen showing strong empathy is during Tom Robinson's trial. Scout narrates, "Judge Taylor was polling the jury: 'Guilty... guilty... guilty... guilty...' I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each 'guilty' was a separate stab between them" (282). Jem believes Tom is innocent and easily empathizes with him. Tom's innocence fills Jem with a willful desire for the jury to share his belief. As a result, Jem is devastated when the jury finds Tom guilty. Jem once again shows a high level of empathy later in the novel when he stops Scout from killing a roly-poly that has gotten into the house. Jem's empathy, as seen here, is debatably over the top. His desire to spare an innocent bug is likely a result of his former empathy of Tom Robinson, who was similarly innocent and harmless. Altogether, Jem's empathy and never causes any harm other than the harm to his own emotions.

A second character who demonstrates empathy's powerfully good qualities is Scout. The first example of Scout's use of empathy is when she gives the nickel she had previously received from Calpurnia as a donation to the Robinson family at Calpurnia's church. Calpurnia had given her this coin to use for whatever Scout wanted, but through her empathy for the Robinsons, Scout decided they needed it more than she did. From a young age, Scout has never calculated race into her empathetic choices. Her donation shows that, like her father, Scout cares about the lives of everyone, regardless of skin color. Another notable example of Scout's use of empathy is when Scout causes Mr. Cunningham to step in Atticus's shoes and disassemble the mob. The group of men had come to the courthouse with the intention of lynching Tom, but they had to get through Atticus first. Before they could hurt him, however, Scout, Dill, and Jem ran from their hiding place. Scout then notices Mr. Cunningham begins telling him about how they feed his son, Walter, resulting in his empathy for Atticus. A final example of how Scout shows empathy's benefits is seen at the end of the book when she stands on Boo Radley's porch. Scout has just walked with Arthur back to his house after Bob Ewell's attack and is left with a perspective she had never seen before. With this new physical view, she starts to understand the mental views of Boo that she has had a poor sense of throughout the book. At this moment, she realizes and acknowledges Boo's quiet way of life. Overall, Scout's growth as a good member of society revolves around her growing sense of empathy.

A third and final character who shows both the positive and negative effects of empathy is Atticus. During the trial, Atticus demonstrates a very bravery form of empathy as he defends Tom. Very few people in Maycomb are willing to stand up for the black people in their county, but Atticus feels no fear in doing so. He courageously proves a black man innocent while proving a white man guilty, without fear of mobs like the one he had faced earlier. Atticus feels a moral obligation to fight for Tom's life to the point where his own could potentially be in danger. The truly life-changing effects of Atticus's empathy are shown toward the end of the book when Scout and Jem display great empathy of their own. Scout and Jem have looked up to Atticus their whole lives; consequently, their excellent sense of empathy comes from that of Atticus. They develop into mature, caring young adults because of his guidance. Everything that Scout and Jem have done out of empathy is due to the presence of their outstanding father figure. However, Atticus arguably displays the downside of empathy when he tries to justify the destructive actions of Bob Ewell. Atticus is so caught up with trying to see the light in Bob Ewell that he does not realize that there is no light to be found. With his guard down, Atticus cannot foresee Ewell posing a threat to his loved ones, and he nearly loses his children because of it. Altogether, Atticus has nothing but good intentions throughout the novel, but a blindness from these good intentions eventually causes more harm than good.

Ultimately, empathy is in no way a bad characteristic to have. As seen in To Kill a Mockingbird, the evilest people can be characterized by a lack of it. Empathy is necessary for the ability for people to live together. Without it, human society and the world as we know it could not come close to existing. The problems that go with empathy are only apparent when empathy is too heavily relied upon. As seen with Atticus, the revealing power of empathy can quickly turn into a concealing one. While the empathy of all characters, especially Atticus, has made so many lives better, it also greatly endangered some as well. Empathy can result in great cognizance, but it can also surround people in darkness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Empathy's Effects in To Kill a Mockingbird

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy, according to many philosophers, is the basis of moral behavior. Without it, they theorize, nobody would be capable of caring about anyone else. Charities would be nonexistent, and the world would be extremely divided culturally and economically. Empathy, in some ways, is the reason why millions of people in poverty-stricken areas are alive today.

# data[].attributes.body
When we think of loss the first place our mid goes is to the loss of a person. In To Kill A Mockingbird you think of the loss of Jem And Scout's mom. A rather unthought of loss in the book is loss of innocence which this article describes perfectly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Jennifer Wilber works as an ESL instructor, substitute teacher, and freelance writer. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing and English.

Scout's Experiences of Loss of Innocence

Throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learns many lessons from the adults in her life that cause her to experience losses of innocence to varying degrees. Her father, Atticus Finch, is the person to whom she looks up to the most, so she learns many life lessons from him. Early in the novel, she also learns quite a bit about how the adult world works from her teacher, Miss Caroline. Boo Radley also plays a central role in teaching Scout valuable lessons in the novel.

Miss Caroline

When Scout first starts school, she is eager to learn. When her teacher, Miss Caroline, calls on her to read the alphabet written on the board, Miss Caroline becomes upset to learn the Scout already knows how to read. She tells Scout not to let her father teach her to read anymore because it's "best to begin reading with a fresh mind (23)." Miss Caroline is proud of her new teaching methods and doesn't want them challenged. She likely feels threatened by Scout's abilities. This confuses Scout because she can't understand how excelling at reading could possibly be wrong. This experience is one of her first encounters with an adult who thinks that their ways are the only correct ways and this represents an early loss of innocence in Scout's life.

Atticus Finch

Scout learns many valuable lessons from her father throughout the novel. Atticus tries to teach his children about fairness in a world that rarely seems fair. Though the rest of the community has racist attitudes toward African Americans, Atticus teaches Scout and Jem to treat all people with respect. As a result, Scout has a great relationship with their African American housekeeper, Calpurnia, and sees her as a mother-figure. Even when the rest of the town wanted the black man Tom Robinson killed for the alleged rape of Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus took his case and did his best to defend him. Ultimately, the jury found him guilty, despite Atticus's seemingly bulletproof defense. This resulted in a major loss of innocence for Scout when she saw firsthand that life isn't fair and sometimes innocent people can lose. This also reinforced how awful and unfair the racist beliefs of the community really were.

Boo Radley

Discovering the true nature of Arthur "Boo" Radley also represents a loss of innocence for Scout. Throughout the novel, Scout and Jem thought of Boo Radley as a scary, almost mythical, figure. Because they had never seen him, they let their imaginations run wild with every rumor they heard and thought he was a horrible and dangerous person. When they finally do get to know him, it is when he saves their lives. Scout and Jem find out that it was he who had been leaving them gifts inside the tree the whole time. The person they thought to be evil and dangerous turned out to be someone they could trust completely. This realization that people aren't always what they first appear to be was a valuable lesson and represented a loss of innocence, but a positive one.

Positive and Negative Losses of Innocence

Throughout the novel, Scout learns many life lessons from the adults around her as she matures. Through several losses of innocence, she gains new perspectives on how the world works. Some of her experiences of loss of innocence were negative, such as when she learns that innocent people can still lose everything after Tom Robinson's trial, but other losses of innocence had a positive impact on her world view, such as when she got to know Boo Radley for who he really was. Through these experiences, Scout matured into a young woman with a good heart and sense of fairness with the help of her father and the other adults in her life.

To Kill A Mockingbird - Themes

References

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner, 1982. Print.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Loss of Innocence in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jennifer Wilber works as an ESL instructor, substitute teacher, and freelance writer. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing and English. Throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learns many lessons from the adults in her life that cause her to experience losses of innocence to varying degrees.

# data[].attributes.body
“Empathy is, at its simplest, awarness of the feelings and emotions of other people. ...it is how we as individuals understand what others are experiencing as if we were feelins it ourselves,” (SKILLSYOUNEED paragraph 1). This article explains what empathy is and how we need it in our everyday lives. It does the same job as Calpurnia and Atticus as they too were teaching Scout about empathy and why we need it throughout the novel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn more about empathy, being aware of the feelings and emotions of others, and experiencing them for ourselves through the power of imagination.

# data[].attributes.body
“....the pillars of moral education are: character and morality, civic studies, individual and community, and cultural studies…” (Pillars of moral education 0:36 seconds). Morality is a big push for Scout to learn in the beginning of the novel but at the same time it develops her character more. As she learns more of morality her character starts to mature (her becoming less of a hot head and somewhat more respectful). We start to see the balance between Scout’s morality and character development because as her morality grows, so does her character.

# data[].attributes.body
Scout starts school in part one, so she is now learning thus being able to understand the real world more. She is getting older and maturing more so change is happening that is affecting the plot of the story.

# data[].attributes.body
At Funabashi Kibou Junior High in Tokoyo’s Setagaya Ward students were sharing their moral values (on if they would allow their organs to be harvested) and addressing their life values. “Moral educaton classes are not meant to judge if students’ opinions are right or wrong, or instruct them how they should think...classes aim to encourage reflection and listening to others’ viewpoints to promote critical thinking and empathy - the ability to understand other people’s feelings and the basis for living together in peace,” (The Japan TImes paragraph 2) is exctly what the moral education Scout receives is about, some what. Though Calpurnia and Atticus aren’t exactly shoving down what moral values Scout should have down her throat, they are enforcing that she should improve her empathy. This school program’s purpose is so that, “Teachers can have a direct impact on strengthening students’ resilience to discriminatory and violent narratives as well as model values of respect and trust” thus relating to Calpurnia’s and Atticus’s role in teaching Scout how to have empathy. Their main role, as it is with the teachers, is to strengthen the kids’ morals towards hateful things such as discriminatory actions and violent actions as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In a classroom on a recent Saturday, junior high school students were gathered in small groups discussing death, specifically whether they would consent for their organs to be harvested after they passed away. "I am willing to donate my organs because at that time I will no longer care what happens to my body," one student told the class. "I will be glad if my body can be useful to others in need after my death." Many students shared similar viewpoints.

The topic came up during moral education classes in mid-July during an open day at Funabashi Kibou Junior High School in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, where parents had been invited to observe special classes addressing life values. Moral education classes are not meant to judge if students' opinions are right or wrong, or instruct them how they should think. Instead, the classes aim to encourage reflection and listening to others' viewpoints to promote critical thinking and empathy - the ability to understand other people's feelings and the basis for living together in peace.

"To survive in the world peacefully, we must show empathy to others. We must understand feelings of others," said Mamtaz Jahan, an assistant English teacher from Tejgaon Government Girls High School in Dhaka, who observed the classes with a group of teachers, school leaders and officials from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan. After the session, parents were also invited to speak with teachers about morals and ethics in daily life and how to address these topics with children.

The visit was part of the UNESCO project "Learning for Empathy: A teacher exchange and support programme," sponsored by the Japanese government. The project targets teachers as key influencers in social transformation linked to the sustainable development goals, particularly SDG4.7 highlighting the appreciation of cultural diversity and promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence.

Teachers can have a direct impact on strengthening students' resilience to discriminatory and violent narratives as well as model values of respect and trust. In many countries, school leaders and teachers share similar concerns and challenges in terms of the quality and relevance of learning in the 21st century, when societies are rapidly changing in terms of technology, human relationships and how we relate with the natural environment.

The empathy project offers education professionals from different countries opportunities to learn from each other, find inspiration and generate changes in mind-set. The group visited schools and community learning centers in Tokyo to learn what Japan does to make learning meaningful, motivating and empowering, and exchange ideas with Japanese teachers and students.

"We come here from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia to learn about how the education system is running in Japan," Jahan said, adding that she wanted to know how Japan had incorporated SDGs in education, particularly SDG4.7 promoting a holistic view of learning based on the three pillars of cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral dimensions.

The global indicator established for Target 4.7 measures the extent to which Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) are mainstreamed in national education policies, curricula, teacher education and student assessments. Japan has long-standing experiences in inclusive quality education with many schools, including those visited, promoting topics such as sustainable development and peace.

Omori Dairoku Junior High School in Ota Ward is one of the most active UNESCO Associated Schools in Japan, actively promoting ESD through a whole school approach. School teachers collaborated to develop the SDGs Calendar as part of the school curriculum, integrating learning of and for SDGs in all teaching subjects throughout the school year. For example, ninth grade social studies focused in April on protecting democracy (SDG17: Partnership for the Goals) and in May on protecting human rights (SDG17 and SDG10: Reduced Inequalities).

"Learning for empathy is a universal value, but nowadays I think we have to think more about how to integrate it into the field of education, not only in the school, but also at home and in the community," said Gilang Asri Devianty, a teacher from State Junior High School 2 in Cileunyi, West Java.

Education, including learning for empathy, involves three levels of learners, teachers and the broader education community, which also covers parents and community members.

For example, in addition to the usual parent-teacher association, Hasune Daini Elementary School in Itabashi Ward runs learning-support sessions led by volunteers in the community, many of whom are parents, helping students who cannot keep up with classes.

"We cannot live by our own. We are social beings, so we have to work with the others. To do so, we have to know and understand the others so we can coordinate, cooperate and collaborate," Gilang said. "I think the very basic thing as a teacher, when we try to educate the students to have empathy toward each other, is to teach them how to accept differences, meaning not judging."

The world is experiencing a rise of intolerance and conflict despite growing interconnectedness and interdependency among people and nations. Education can help to prepare learners to be active and responsible contributors to sustainable development and world peace. In the Asia-Pacific, an immensely culturally and linguistically diverse region, this is a particularly vital role.

Part of that mission is deconstructing prejudices about "others," help to instill healthy self-esteem, and raise awareness about basic human rights and values. Education has a role to play in creating a strong sense of belongingness for people who feel excluded or marginalized as well as give them opportunities to develop skills for non-violent expression, communication and action through collaboration.

"I think one of the immediate problems is clashes of identities," said Muhammad Israr Madani, an Islamic scholar and madrassa teacher at the International Research Council for Religious Affairs in Pakistan. "There are a lot of conflicts between different identities based on their ethnicity, religion, sectarian[ism] and language. Sometimes, identity crisis can create extremism."

During the visit, participants also went to Mita High School in Minato Ward, to talk with about 30 students who are members of the school's UNESCO Committee. Each country and the UNESCO Committee made presentations and discussed how empathy was taught in their countries, including challenges and what young people are most passionate about.

Madani said he believed that Pakistan needed to participate in such exchange programs, which would help people with different identities understand each other better. "We need to promote empathy through teacher training," he said, emphasizing the need for proper teacher training on peace-building and conflict-resolution skills.

The visit ended with participants presenting plans that they would implement respectively in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan, taking into account challenges identified in their local contexts. Despite the differences in language, ethnicity and other factors, empathy - a key to learn to live together - is a thread that unites us all together.
Santibhap Ussavasodhi is the social media officer and Jun Morohashi is head of the Executive Office at UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education
LATEST COMMENTARY STORIES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning for empathy: A world effort to build peace through education | The Japan Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In a classroom on a recent Saturday, junior high school students were gathered in small groups discussing death, specifically whether they would consent for their organs to be harvested after they passed away. "I am willing to donate my organs because at that time I will no longer care what happens to my body," one student told the class.

# data[].attributes.body
This article adds to the idea that Jem and Scout are in the middle of the process of maturing, thus being a little more moody and inattentive. Their maturation affects the plot because Scout is telling the story see we see her point of view on things change overtime.

http://dissertation.laerd.com/internal-validity-p3.php

# data[].attributes.body
The loss of a parent or family member can effect everyone, close to them or not. Jem is effected in a way that he misses his mother but does not necessarily grieve for he was young. Scout was 2 when she died and does not remember her but is affected by the lack of a real motherly figure. This is reflected in how she dresses and acts in the book. The loss of Jem and Scout's mother does have an impact on the book itself for it changes the way the kids act. Along with how they handle situations as well as causing Atticus to teach lesson on empathy and other topics that he would other wise not have to teach.

# data[].attributes.body
The affects of loss can affect any child. The way we see it in the book may not be how it happen in real life because of Scouts point of view. Jem was effected by this event and would have memories of her come to mind causing him to go off by himself.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Grief is a normal, healthy psychological effect of the loss of a parent -- children undergo their own mourning process just as adults do. But they process their feelings in different ways that can vary by the child's age. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, school-age children might express a range of feelings and emotions, including emotional shock and detachment, which helps them deal with immediate pain of the loss, regressive behaviors, such as difficulty separating from significant others, explosive behaviors, such as anger, or repeating the same questions because they don't fully understand what has happened.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Psychological Effects of Parental Death | Livestrong.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The death of a parent is one of the most stressful and significant events a child can experience. The psychological effects of a parent's death can affect the child for the rest of her life. Supporting the child and helping her grieve is crucial for her adjustment and overall well-being.

# data[].attributes.body
In the book, Scout informs her teacher of Walter's financial and how he would not be able to pay the teacher back. When Scout does this she embarrasses the teacher and judge her in a way not putting herself in her teacher's shoes. She is lacking empathy and because of this her teacher and her will not be able to make a connection.Scout isn’t realizing that it’s the teacher's first year at the school so she doesn't fully understand how things go in the town.

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-empathy-2795562

# data[].attributes.body
“...our ability to read others support one of our primary drives as human beings, the drive to relate to others and form social bonds,” (Blagg paragraph 2). Throughout the book we see Scout learning more and more about how to connect with others and even perspective taking. With her learning this she is able to connect more with others and become more empathetic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A keen interest in humans' distinctive capacity to decipher the thoughts and feelings of others - a capacity known as social perspective taking (SPT) - has driven the research of Harvard Graduate School of Education Assistant Professor Hunter Gehlbach for the better part of a decade.

"Psychologists believe that our ability to read others supports one of our primary drives as human beings, the drive to relate to others and form social bonds," says Gehlbach, an educational psychologist who is looking at ways to improve teaching and learning by enhancing SPT in the classroom.

In addition to suggesting that students who are more motivated and accurate in their social perspective taking also tend to get higher grades, Gehlbach's research has outlined ways in which SPT is critical for a variety of stakeholders in education.

"Principals constantly need to read and respond to the needs of students, parents, and teachers and resolve issues in ways that are effective and equitable," Gehlbach says. "Teachers have to figure out each day whether that student in the third row understands what's being taught, and students need to be accurate in their assessment of teachers' expectations and the perspectives of their classmates."

The last point is especially important, notes Gehlbach, in an era when globalization has made it much more likely that students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds will be learning together. "We need to help students comprehend their classmates' values, perspectives, and motivations so they can learn from each other as well as from their teachers."

We need to help students comprehend their classmates' values, perspectives, and motivations so they can learn from each other as well as from their teachers.

To develop ways to help students and teachers hone their perspective-taking, Gehlbach decided it was necessary first to more fully understand the underlying process. In research due to be published early next year, Gehlbach, doctoral student Maureen Brinkworth, Ed.M.'06, and Ming-Te Wang, Ed.M.'06, Ed.D.'10, looked closely at how SPT actually happens. The study yielded some important clues about what motivates individuals to take the perspectives of others, the strategies used by "expert" perspective takers, and the sources of evidence that inform perspective takers' conclusions.

Choosing to Empathize

What motivates us to take the perspectives of others? "We are exposed to dozens of people every day - in the grocery check-out line, during our commute to work or school, or sitting in a restaurant - yet we are very selective about those with whom we empathize," Gehlbach says. To uncover motivational factors in SPT, Gehlbach and his colleagues compared two groups of participants: a sample of 18 adults from professions such as teaching, psychotherapy, and military intelligence, who were identified by peers as experts at social perspective taking; and a group of 13 high school students nominated by their teachers and administrators and chosen because of their apparent struggles with SPT.

All participants completed a survey, viewed a video, and answered related questions during in-depth interviews designed to uncover triggers and barriers to SPT. One key finding was that if a person or situation is important to us, we are much more likely to engage in SPT. "For example," Gehlbach explains, "a border crossing guard who is trying to identify someone who might be a threat, or [a] detective questioning a high-stakes suspect, is very motivated to take that person's perspective to try to figure out what they might be thinking."

In less dramatic circumstances, a high-stakes person might be a family member, teacher, or student whose opinions and actions matter to us. "Students who want to do well in school have a high interest in teachers' expectations, and adolescents, in general, are very interested in how they are viewed by their peers," he says. "It's how we develop a sense of ourselves during a critical time in our lives."

A more unexpected finding, says Gehlbach, is the extent to which the role individuals take on in a given situation determines whether or not they engage in SPT. "One member of the Army that we interviewed was highly motivated to engage in SPT when he was in his role as an interrogator. However, when he was in his role as the disciplinarian of his unit, he was completely uninterested in the perspective of soldiers who had broken rules," says Gelbach. "A teacher who views his or her job as solely to deliver content might not try to figure out what's going on with a student who pays attention on Monday but acts out on Wednesday.

"That kind of teacher might see perspective taking as the job of a school counselor," continues Gehlbach, "but what is interesting to consider, especially for those of us who want to enhance SPT in educational settings, is the possibility that one's role can be changed."

If teachers who focus primarily on delivering content can be convinced that having a better understanding of their students' perspectives will increase their success, Gehlbach says, "they may shift their strategy to include a greater emphasis on SPT."

Strategies and Cues

When it comes to strategies that facilitate social perspective taking, the old standby of putting oneself in another's shoes is commonly used, but it is by no means foolproof. "That can be risky," Gehlbach says, "because you can impose your personal values and background on someone who might not share those at all."

A more sophisticated strategy that emerged in the study was the practice of delaying judgments about others until ample information is available. "This was a technique the counseling psychologists often used," Gehlbach relates, "along with volunteering information about themselves in order to draw out the perceptions of their clients."

In looking at the sources of evidence used to discern the thoughts and feelings of others, in-depth interviews with participants revealed 12 different cues, including facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and postures.

"One data point that was a little less intuitive," Gehlbach says, "was the lack of expected reactions." In one of the videos used in the study, when a joke was told and did not elicit laughter, viewers concluded that the person listening didn't understand what was going on. "They began to read something into that," he says. "It seems that unexpected responses are a pretty strong cue in social perspective taking."

Triggers and Barriers

Gehlbach's soon-to-be-published research offers numerous insights on the triggers and barriers that influence social perspective taking in the classroom. "Cognitive load is one frequently cited example of a barrier," he relates. "If a teacher is focused on taking attendance, starting a lesson, catching up a student who was absent yesterday, and scheduling a principal's observation, taking the perspective of 25 students in a given class is very difficult." On the other hand, Gehlbach says relationship goals, "such as when a student engages with a new classmate to get to know him or her better," promote SPT and could be used to facilitate peer learning in the classroom.

One of the biggest surprises in the study was the extent to which the "expert" participants and the student SPT novices fared similarly across a spectrum of measures. "I think that's indicative of the complexity of the process," Gehlbach comments. "Even those who struggle with SPT strategies and skills can go a long way just on motivation. It's a great platform to build on as we begin to develop approaches to teach SPT in school settings."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Closer Look at Social Perspective Taking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A keen interest in humans' distinctive capacity to decipher the thoughts and feelings of others - a capacity known as social perspective taking (SPT) - has driven the research of Harvard Graduate School of Education Assistant Professor Hunter Gehlbach for the better part of a decade.

# data[].attributes.body
As a child starts maturing they start being more distant from their parental figures, such as how Scout is getting into more arguments with Calpurnia and trying to go on her own path. She is trying to refuse the authority Calpurnia has over her, she is trying to prove she is growing up and becoming more independent.

https://www.britannica.com/science/adolescence

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout this article, the author explains to the reader on how important moral education effects social interaction. "...moral rules should guide relationships with friends..." (R.M. Thomas paragraph 2) expands on the idea of how our moral education even goes as far to affect our relationships with others. Throughout part 1 we see multiple adults (usually Calpurnia and Atticus) trying to educate Scout on her morals in order for Scout to be able to have successful relationships (as aforementioned within the article) with others and change her view on the world.