Abstract

ARANGO TOBON, Olber Eduardo; MONTOYA ZULUAGA, Paula Andrea; PUERTA LOPERA, Isabel Cristina  and  SANCHEZ DUQUE, José Wilmar. Theory of mind and empathy as predictors of antisocial behavior during adolescence. Escritos de Psicología [online]. 2014, vol.7, n.1, pp.20-30. ISSN 1989-3809.  https://dx.doi.org/10.5231/psy.writ.2013.2810.

It has been proposed that the characteristics of theory of mind and empathy are important predictors of behavioural disorders during childhood and adolescence. This study compared a group of teenagers with the characteristics of antisocial behavior disorder and a group of teenagers as controls in terms of their performance on tests assessing the theory of mind and empathy, with the further aim of establishing risk and protective factors predictive of the development of antisocial behavior during adolescence. There were significant statistical differences between the two groups on the theory of mind and empathy tests. The dimension of empathy known as a perspective taking as well as the adolescent’s skills in understanding mental and emotional states were established as protective factors according to the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.

Keywords : Behavior Disorders in Teens; Disocial; Empathy Theory of Mind.

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