Theory of Mind
Theory of Mind - the understanding that the minds of other people differ from our own, and their thoughts/intepretations/etc. guide their actions.
- We understand that other people don't have the same knowledge and interpretations of the world around us as we do
- Helps guide our social interactions
- Example - you see someone walking towards you looking scared. You interpret this as a warning that something is behind you
People with autism report having a harder time interpreting the thoughts of others, which hampers social interactions
Developing Theory of Mind
Developing theory of mind is a long process - many skills and abilities need to develop in order for us to be able to infer the mental states of others
False belief test - a common test for theory of mind. Children can usually pass by age 4, but it remains effortful
- Child is shown two dolls (Sally and Ann)
- Sally puts a ball into a basket, then Sally leaves the room
- Anne moves the ball from the basket to a box
- When Sally comes back, the child is asked where Sally will look for the ball
- If theory of mind is well-developed, child will say Sally will look in the basket, because that's where Sally left the ball. This requires the child to look beyond their own knowledge and infer Sally's mental state.