Definitionv1DF-216
Cognitive perspective taking
the ability to infer another person's thoughts, beliefs, reasoning structures, and interpretive frameworks, as opposed to merely feeling what they feel (affective empathy)
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely distinguishes cognitive perspective taking from affective empathy by identifying its genus (cognitive skill) and differentia (inference of reasoning structures vs. emotional resonance). It establishes the specific cognitive operations involved in understanding how others think rather than how they feel.