Mindreading in Psychology

Mindreading: An AI image
Geoffrey W. Sutton, 2025

Mindreading is a psychological construct that refers to the ability to infer or simulate another person’s mental states in real time. It involves attributing thoughts, emotions, and intentions to others, often using contextual cues such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and situational knowledge (Sutton, 2025, December 2).

Recent research emphasizes that mindreading is multidimensional, encompassing both cognitive and affective components. For example, Turner and Felisberti (2017) reviewed behavioral approaches to testing mindreading in neurologically typical adults, highlighting the importance of multidimensional tasks that combine emotion recognition, social vignettes, and narrative fiction to capture the complexity of this skill. Similarly, Pomareda, Devine, and Apperly (2024) proposed a two-factor model distinguishing between the quality and quantity of mindreading responses, showing that individuals vary in both their motivation to engage in mindreading and the appropriateness of their interpretations. Together, these findings underscore mindreading as a dynamic process central to social cognition.

Comparison of Theory of Mind and Mindreading

Although Theory of Mind (ToM) and mindreading are conceptually intertwined, they differ in scope and emphasis. ToM is generally defined as a capacity—a developmental achievement enabling individuals to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and emotions distinct from their own (Obiols & Berrios, 2009). Mindreading, by contrast, refers to the active process of applying this capacity in everyday social contexts, often requiring rapid interpretation of subtle cues (Turner & Felisberti, 2017; Pomareda et al., 2024). In other words, ToM provides the foundational framework, while mindreading represents its practical execution. Both constructs are essential for effective social functioning, but ToM is typically studied in developmental psychology, whereas mindreading is often examined in cognitive and social psychology as a mechanism of real-time interaction.

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2025, December 2). Mindreading in psychology. Psychology Concepts and Theories. https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2025/12/mindreading-in-psychology.html

Post Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. 

His website is https://suttong.com 

You can find Dr. Sutton's books on   AMAZON    and  GOOGLE. 

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Many publications are free to download at ResearchGate   and Academia  

Find chapters and essays on Substack. [ @GeoffreyWSutton ]

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References

Obiols, J. E., & Berrios, G. E. (2009). The historical roots of Theory of Mind: The work of James Mark Baldwin. History of Psychiatry, 20(3), 377–392. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957154X08337334

Pomareda, C., Devine, R. T., & Apperly, I. A. (2024). Mindreading quality versus quantity: A theoretically and empirically motivated two-factor structure for individual differences in adults’ mindreading. PLOS ONE, 19(6), e0305270. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305270

Turner, R., & Felisberti, F. M. (2017). Measuring mindreading: A review of behavioral approaches to testing cognitive and affective mental state attribution in neurologically typical adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 47. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00047