The development of theory of mind (ToM) in children involves the ability to recognise the guidance of behaviours by mental representations that may differ from external reality (McAlister and Peterson, 2007). The gradual development of ToM is marked by specific periods of rapid growth that coincide with cognitive developmental periods between three to five years of age.
False belief understanding is recognised as a marker of a child’s fully developed ToM, whereby the child is aware that someone will act in accordance to his or her subjective belief, even if it is incorrect (Peterson, 2000). Explicit evidence of a child’s false belief understanding can be observed through False Belief tasks, designed to test the child’s ability to anticipate …show more content…
It is the prerequisite to co-operative communication, ability to distinguish between manipulation and humour, and interpersonal understanding including higher order mental states (Perner, Ruffman and Leekam, 1994). Thus studying false belief development and the underlying factors that influence its acquisition is crucial.
From previous studies, it stands to reason that interaction between young children and a partner of advanced socio-cognitive skills is beneficial. Nelson, Adamson and Bakeman’s (2008) study suggest that joint attention experiences at an early age allow children to recognise other people’s mental states and actions that facilitates eventual ToM understanding. Furthermore, studies show the exponential ToM growth of children throughout pre schooling, with prevalent ToM capabilities by the age of 6, that support the strong linear correlation between children’s age and ToM competencies (Wellman, Cross and Watson, …show more content…
Peterson’s (2000) study implied that rapid ToM growth is not limited to the influence of older siblings. Rather, ToM facilitation is dependent on siblings with a child-like mind. Teenagers (>12 years of age) do not engage in the same childish conversations and young infants (<2) have not developed socio-cognitive preconditions to influence ToM growth. Similarly, McAlister and Peterson’s (2007) findings further support the fact that advanced ToM abilities correlate strongly to the number of childlike siblings and the social exchanges that occur. Closely aged siblings engage in a range of social interactions; enactment, deception and conversations that non-sibling children are deprived of, whereby parents simply cannot provide the same distinctively sibling forms of social situations. Likewise, studies imply that sibling relationship and interaction act as the strongest predictor of ToM ability, than merely birth order or family size (Hughes and Ensor,
False belief understanding is recognised as a marker of a child’s fully developed ToM, whereby the child is aware that someone will act in accordance to his or her subjective belief, even if it is incorrect (Peterson, 2000). Explicit evidence of a child’s false belief understanding can be observed through False Belief tasks, designed to test the child’s ability to anticipate …show more content…
It is the prerequisite to co-operative communication, ability to distinguish between manipulation and humour, and interpersonal understanding including higher order mental states (Perner, Ruffman and Leekam, 1994). Thus studying false belief development and the underlying factors that influence its acquisition is crucial.
From previous studies, it stands to reason that interaction between young children and a partner of advanced socio-cognitive skills is beneficial. Nelson, Adamson and Bakeman’s (2008) study suggest that joint attention experiences at an early age allow children to recognise other people’s mental states and actions that facilitates eventual ToM understanding. Furthermore, studies show the exponential ToM growth of children throughout pre schooling, with prevalent ToM capabilities by the age of 6, that support the strong linear correlation between children’s age and ToM competencies (Wellman, Cross and Watson, …show more content…
Peterson’s (2000) study implied that rapid ToM growth is not limited to the influence of older siblings. Rather, ToM facilitation is dependent on siblings with a child-like mind. Teenagers (>12 years of age) do not engage in the same childish conversations and young infants (<2) have not developed socio-cognitive preconditions to influence ToM growth. Similarly, McAlister and Peterson’s (2007) findings further support the fact that advanced ToM abilities correlate strongly to the number of childlike siblings and the social exchanges that occur. Closely aged siblings engage in a range of social interactions; enactment, deception and conversations that non-sibling children are deprived of, whereby parents simply cannot provide the same distinctively sibling forms of social situations. Likewise, studies imply that sibling relationship and interaction act as the strongest predictor of ToM ability, than merely birth order or family size (Hughes and Ensor,