Investigating the Dimensions of Mind Perception

Abstract

Mind perception is the ability to infer the presence of a mind in other beings or non-living things (e.g., a tree, an animal, a robot) and make judgements about what "kind" of mind that being possesses. Research has shown that there is a dimensionality to the schema of mind perception, though the number of dimensions is debated. The present study aimed to explore the dimensions via a mind perception scale that measures participants’ perceptions of mental capacities (n = 181). The data was highly suited for factor analysis, so principal axis factoring and multiple criteria were used to find the retained factors. Findings suggest a two-dimensional model of mind perception, supporting the field’s landmark study by Gray et al. (2007).