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Issues in Theory of Mind Research - An Overview
Delhi Psychiatry Journal
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: 2009/10//
Pages: 195 - 201
Sources ID: 39431
Collection: Theory of Mind
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
Human beings are essentially social creatures. In each and every encounter with other human beings and higher animals, simple observation leads to a spontaneous prediction of how they are feeling based upon how they are behaving. It is this everyday capacity to conceptualize or infer mental states to others (e.g. their belief, knowledge, desire, intentions) in order to explain much of their behaviors and predict responses which comprises the “Theory of mind” (ToM). This ability enables a person to choose interpersonal responses that are more likely to lead to successful interactions in social encounters and over time to achieve higher level of social attainment. A woman and boy walk from a car; the boy stops, frowns and turns around. Woman takes him back to the car and points in the window. This behavior makes immediate sense: the boy has forgotten something. The woman believes it is in the car. She wants him to see it is there.The term Theory of Mind (ToM) was coined by Premack and Woodruff 1 in a classic paper that discussed whether Chimpanzees have a ToM? Wimmer and Perner2 working in this direction, tested normal children on what has become classic false belief task: Maxi story. This study as well as a number of replications3,4 subsequently confirmed that in normal children the ability to represent the relation between two or more person’s mental states emerges and becomes firmly established around the ages 4 to 6 years. Meltzoff and Moore5 have shown that children as young as several hours or days old may mimic simple behaviors, which may be part of a developing ToM; other researchers have argued that 14- to 18-month-old infants are capable of understanding intention and so have a basic comprehension of others as intentional and mental agents.6,7