title: Development of affective theory of mind across adolescence: disentangling the role of executive functions.
abstract: Theory of mind, the ability to understand mental states, involves inferences about others' cognitive (cognitive theory of mind) and emotional (affective theory of mind) mental states. The current study explored the role of executive functions in developing affective theory of mind across adolescence. Affective theory of mind and three subcomponents of executive functions (inhibition, updating, and shifting) were measured. Affective theory of mind was positively related to age, and all three executive functions. Specifically, inhibition explained the largest amount of variance in age-related differences in affective theory of mind.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. nora.vetter@tu-dresden.de
authors: Nora C
authors: NC
authors: Vetter
authors: Mareike
authors: M
authors: Altgassen
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Phillips
authors: Caitlin E V
authors: CE
authors: Mahy
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Kliegel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult