Attempting to See Things Your Way: The Act of Taking Perspective

It is very possible that it has occurred to all of us. When we witness someone acting or reacting in any way, we ask ourselves, "Why are they doing that?" or "I have never done that!" Or perhaps you have had the experience of seeing the same incident as someone else and realised that your impressions of what happened were vastly different. If you had ever responded to these circumstances by seeking to stand outside of yourself for a while and analyse the issue from another person's perspective, you would have engaged in perspective-taking.

First of all, perspective-taking is the practice of striving to understand something and grasp things from a different perspective of another person. Decades of perspective-taking research show that mankind and other animals can participate in perspective-taking. So how do we go about it? What will happen if we don't? The studies described below may indeed be useful in resolving various concerns.

According to Moskowitz and Galinsky’s research, perspective-taking may contribute to less discrimination and much more positive attitudes toward people. Participants of the study had been shown a photo of an old man and instructed to write anything they wanted. The researchers divided the participants into three groups: a perspective-taking group, a do not stereotype group and a standard or control group. Each group was given a different set of writing suggestions by the researchers. The control group was instructed to describe a typical day in the life of an older fellow. Participants in the do not stereotype group were asked to write about a typical day in the life of a man while avoiding the use of stereotypes. Individuals in the perspective-taking group were asked to write about a typical day in the life of the old gentleman, imagining what it would be like to see the universe through his eyes. The study's findings indicated that, when compared to the control group, respondents' papers in the do not stereotype and perspective-taking groups included less prejudices about the elderly. Moreover, numerous research have found that point of view can contribute to positive social effects including reduced racial discrimination, increased creativity in group activities, and increased compassion for others.

It is crucial to emphasise, however, that perspective-taking may be a tough endeavour. Attempting to take another person's perspective while multitasking such as completing another intellectually taxing activity makes it more difficult, according to studies. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that putting oneself in the shoes of a hypothetical outsider might contribute to stereotyped behaviour.

Besides that, there has been plenty of proof that people can engage in perspective-taking currently and that it may have some advantages. How about the other animals? What about canines? Let us take a minute to think about dogs. Most of us who have seemed to have a dog or two as a pet or had any intimate interaction with a dog might just have noticed how in tune these adorable animals appear to be together with people. I have also had the situation of a dog gnawing on my belongings and afterwards reacting gravely and remorsefully going about the house before I realised what he had done. Is it possible for dogs to perceive things from other people's perspectives? There is evidence that dogs, too, may have this ability!

Moreover, dogs of diverse breeds and ages also took part in one line of research. During the experiment, the scientist showed a dog a treat but told the dog he never could take it. The researcher next sat in a chair in the room and placed the reward in an easily accessible location for the dog. The dogs were divided into two groups for this experiment. Half of the animals were given similar guidelines, however the reward was afterwards placed behind an obstacle, preventing the investigator from observing whether the dog ate the goodie or not. Some other half of the animals were separated from the researcher by a barrier in the room.  As a result, the researcher could easily detect if the dog disobeyed. According to the findings of this study, if the dogs could hide behind the barrier, they were more likely to disobey and steal the treat. Furthermore, the dogs were less likely to accept the incentive if the barrier had a window through which the researcher could see the dog behind the boundary. What a clever dog!

How may technological improvements improve the performance of attempting to perceive things from someone else's point of view? Virtual reality (VR) technology, according to study, may discover new ways for perspective-taking. Virtual reality (VR) is a three-dimensional environment produced by a computer that humans can hear, see and interact with typically via goggles and/or headset. Recent research invited participants to practise perspective-taking by placing themselves in the shoes of an avatar and hearing and seeing an incident in a virtual environment from their point of view.

In addition, recent research also compared traditional perspective-taking to virtual reality perspective-taking. In one study, for instance, respondents were instructed to imagine themselves as homeless people. The participants were then divided into two parts: a regular perspective-taking group that was instructed to write an article depicting a typical day in the life of a poor family, and a virtual reality perspective-taking group that was engaged in a simulated environment of a homeless man's life. According to the findings of this study, respondents in both groups expressed positive feelings for the needy, since there was no distinction in how they felt about the poor. People in the virtual reality perspective-taking condition, on the other hand, kept their positive attitudes for a greater duration of time than those in the conventional perspective-taking condition.

Overall, although perspective-taking might be challenging, evidence suggests that it can be beneficial. And it's something I should keep in mind every time I'm confused by somebody's behaviour or perspectives. Finally, regardless of whether we agree with another person's point of view or not, it may be a fascinating and possibly beneficial exercise to attempt to see the world through someone else's eyes.