Silence, Solitude and Social Cognition in Adolescence: Implications for Research and Education

Abstract

What are the key issues regarding silence, solitude, and social cognition in young people's lives, and their implications for education and emotional health? To answer such questions, the current paper will explore the question: How do young teens use their ability to understand other's minds and emotions to navigate their relationships with themselves, their peers, and during times of silences and solitude? To address this question, this paper critically examines how mentallisation may help youth to navigate their experiences of solitude and relationships. Examples from recent and ongoing cross-sectional and longitudinal research with adolescents are discussed within the context of education and developmental psychology research. Finally, I discuss how findings from developmental social cognitive research can be applied to the classroom, to help develop innovative strategies that honour,

The Role of Gender in the Relation Among Anxiety, Theory of Mind, and Well-Being in Early Adolescents

“…Our findings have significant implications for research and theory, as future studies should carefully consider the importance of assessing individual differences and relational patterns defined by gender. This is particularly meaningful in early adolescence, as intervention programs need to aim to improve well-being through the inclusion of a balanced mix of strategies that promote intra- and inter-personal skills (Bosacki, 2020; Effeney et al, 2013). For example, recent studies show that intervention programs that focus mainly on social skills (e.g.…”