You can’t really put yourself in another person’s shoes, here’s why - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

You can’t really put yourself in another person’s shoes, here’s why

Indo Asian News Service | By
Jun 24, 2018 02:29 PM IST

Do you often put yourself in another person’s shoe? It may not help you understand what the other person is thinking or feeling, says this new study.

Do you believe that putting yourself in someone else’s shoe and understanding their point of view will help you know them better? Scientists claim that such an approach may be inaccurate. The study showed that relying on intuition or gut instinct is not an accurate way to determine what other people might be thinking or feeling.

Gaining perspective directly through conversation is a more accurate approach, say the researchers.(Shutterstock)
Gaining perspective directly through conversation is a more accurate approach, say the researchers.(Shutterstock)

“We incorrectly presume that taking someone else’s perspective will help us understand and improve interpersonal relationships,” said the team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. The study debunked the previous held theories that viewing a situation from other person’s view to understand their thoughts, feelings, attitude, or mental state, is a correct approach to interpersonal insight. Rather gaining perspective directly through conversation is a more accurate approach, the researchers said.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The study, published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, included an exhaustive series of 25 experiments designed to separate accuracy from egotism. The team asked participants to adopt another person’s perspective and predict their emotions based on facial expressions and body postures, identify fake versus genuine smiles, spot when someone is lying or telling the truth, and even predict a spouse’s activity preferences and consumer attitudes.

“Initially, a large majority of participants believed that taking someone else’s perspective would help them achieve a more accurate interpersonal insight,” the researchers said. “However, test results showed that their predictive assumptions were not generally accurate, although it did make them feel more confident about their judgement and reduced egocentric biases,” they explained.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, March 25, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On