Spontaneous perspective-taking: age- and cultural-related differences

Prospective taking is crucial for social functioning. Studies have showed a decline in perspective-taking associated with typical aging. However, these studies have typically considered west cultures and have traditionally used perspective-taking ability tasks. In this study we examined the tendency to spontaneously take others’ perspective of younger and older collectivistic and individualistic adults. In addition, we verified if these spontaneous tendencies were linked to participants’ beliefs about taking someone else’s perspective. A sample of 83 younger adults (19-40 years) and 67 older adults (64-98 years) from an individualistic culture, along with 25 younger adults (19-34 years) and 26 older adults (62-75 years) from a collectivistic culture, completed an online spontaneous perspective-taking task. The study found no significant differences in the spontaneous perspective-taking tendencies between older and younger adults. Nevertheless, older adults required more time to adopt the other's perspective, indicating challenges in inhibiting interference from their own viewpoint. Regarding the culture, Individualistic adults adopted a third-person perspective more than collectivists, supporting the representational hypothesis. However, no culture and age interaction effects were found. Moreover, results reveal a lack of association between the actual tendency to take an alter-centric perspective and self-reported beliefs about taking others’ perspectives. Our findings emphasize the importance of exploring spontaneous perspective-taking in aging and diverse cultures.