Scaling of theory-of-mind tasks.
Two studies address the sequence of understandings evident in preschoolers' developing theory of mind. The first, preliminary study provides a meta-analysis of research comparing different types of mental state understandings (e.g., desires vs. beliefs, ignorance vs. false belief). The second, primary study tests a theory-of-mind scale for preschoolers. In this study 75 children (aged 2 years, 11 months to 6 years, 6 months) were tested on 7 tasks tapping different aspects of understanding persons' mental states. Responses formed a consistent developmental progression, where for most children if they passed a later item they passed all earlier items as well, as confirmed by Guttman and Rasch measurement model analyses.
Wellman
Henry M
HM
Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0406, USA. hmw@umich.edu
Liu
David
D
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D008606:Mental Processes; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012938:Social Perception