Winner, E., Brownell, H., Happé, F., Blum, A., & Pincus, D. (1998). Distinguishing lies from jokes: Theory of mind deficits and discourse interpretation in right hemisphere brain-damage patients. Brain and Language, 62, 89-106.
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to investigate the deficits in the theory of mind in individuals with right hemisphere brain injury due to a stroke. The theory of mind is an “invisible mental state” through which a person can attribute mental states such as the beliefs of others. (Winner, Brownell, Happé, Blum, & Pincus, 1998, p. 90 & 101). Winner et al. (1998) researched the theory of mind by observing right hemisphere damage (RHD) stroke patients’ ability to make second order mental state attributions.
Research question and hypothesis
The primary research question was whether right hemisphere damage patients could …show more content…
(1998) ultimately provides insight into why RHD patients have difficulty distinguishing jokes from lies. There is a positive correlation between the ability to “determine what one person thinks another person knows” and the ability to “distinguish a lie from a joke” (Winner et al., 1998, p. 100). RHD performed moderately well on the second-order belief question, which led them to perform similarly on the interpretation question. Because the RHD patients were not completely impaired in distinguishing between second-order mental attributes, the researchers concluded that there are some neurological connects within the right hemisphere for the theory of mind. However, some of the connections might also reside outside of the right hemisphere. Previous researchers have theorized that the theory of mind could be located in either the left or the right portion of the temporal lobe. Winner et al. (1998) provided information that the right hemisphere is involved in the theory of mind, but the theory of mind is not located entirely within the right hemisphere (Winner et al.
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to investigate the deficits in the theory of mind in individuals with right hemisphere brain injury due to a stroke. The theory of mind is an “invisible mental state” through which a person can attribute mental states such as the beliefs of others. (Winner, Brownell, Happé, Blum, & Pincus, 1998, p. 90 & 101). Winner et al. (1998) researched the theory of mind by observing right hemisphere damage (RHD) stroke patients’ ability to make second order mental state attributions.
Research question and hypothesis
The primary research question was whether right hemisphere damage patients could …show more content…
(1998) ultimately provides insight into why RHD patients have difficulty distinguishing jokes from lies. There is a positive correlation between the ability to “determine what one person thinks another person knows” and the ability to “distinguish a lie from a joke” (Winner et al., 1998, p. 100). RHD performed moderately well on the second-order belief question, which led them to perform similarly on the interpretation question. Because the RHD patients were not completely impaired in distinguishing between second-order mental attributes, the researchers concluded that there are some neurological connects within the right hemisphere for the theory of mind. However, some of the connections might also reside outside of the right hemisphere. Previous researchers have theorized that the theory of mind could be located in either the left or the right portion of the temporal lobe. Winner et al. (1998) provided information that the right hemisphere is involved in the theory of mind, but the theory of mind is not located entirely within the right hemisphere (Winner et al.