Shared Reality: Experiencing Commonality With Others' Inner States About the World Export

@article{citeulike:5786611, abstract = {Humans have a fundamental need to experience a shared reality with others. We present a new conceptualization of shared reality based on four conditions. We posit (a) that shared reality involves a (subjectively perceived) commonality of individuals' inner states (not just observable behaviors); (b) that shared reality is about some target referent; (c) that for a shared reality to occur, the commonality of inner states must be appropriately motivated; and (d) that shared reality involves the experience of a successful connection to other people's inner states. In reviewing relevant evidence, we emphasize research on the saying-is-believing effect, which illustrates the creation of shared reality in interpersonal communication. We discuss why shared reality provides a better explanation of the findings from saying-is-believing studies than do other formulations. Finally, we examine relations between our conceptualization of shared reality and related constructs (including empathy, perspective taking, theory of mind, common ground, embodied synchrony, and socially distributed knowledge) and indicate how our approach may promote a comprehensive and differentiated understanding of social-sharing phenomena.}, address = {Bielefeld University; Columbia University, and; University of Pittsburgh}, author = {Echterhoff, Gerald and Higgins, E. Tory and Levine, John M.}, citeulike-article-id = {5786611}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01161.x}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/ppsc/2009/00000004/00000005/art00010}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/122591898/ABSTRACT}, doi = {10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01161.x}, issn = {1745-6924}, journal = {Perspectives on Psychological Science}, keywords = {conversation, interpersonal\_communication, intersubjectivity, perspective-taking}, number = {5}, pages = {496--521}, posted-at = {2009-09-21 20:26:09}, priority = {4}, publisher = {Blackwell Publishing}, title = {Shared Reality: Experiencing Commonality With Others' Inner States About the World}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01161.x}, volume = {4}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:5786611 L3 - citeulike-article-id:5786611 N2 - Humans have a fundamental need to experience a shared reality with others. We present a new conceptualization of shared reality based on four conditions. We posit (a) that shared reality involves a (subjectively perceived) commonality of individuals' inner states (not just observable behaviors); (b) that shared reality is about some target referent; (c) that for a shared reality to occur, the commonality of inner states must be appropriately motivated; and (d) that shared reality involves the experience of a successful connection to other people's inner states. In reviewing relevant evidence, we emphasize research on the saying-is-believing effect, which illustrates the creation of shared reality in interpersonal communication. We discuss why shared reality provides a better explanation of the findings from saying-is-believing studies than do other formulations. Finally, we examine relations between our conceptualization of shared reality and related constructs (including empathy, perspective taking, theory of mind, common ground, embodied synchrony, and socially distributed knowledge) and indicate how our approach may promote a comprehensive and differentiated understanding of social-sharing phenomena. IS - 5 JF - Perspectives on Psychological Science SN - 1745-6924 AD - Bielefeld University; Columbia University, and; University of Pittsburgh EP - 521 TI - Shared Reality: Experiencing Commonality With Others' Inner States About the World PB - Blackwell Publishing VL - 4 SP - 496 KW - conversation KW - interpersonal_communication KW - intersubjectivity KW - perspective-taking AU - Echterhoff, Gerald AU - Higgins, Tory AU - Levine, John PY - 2009/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01161.x ER -