title: Beliefs about thought probability: evidence for persistent errors in mindreading and links to executive control.
abstract: Four- to 10-year-olds' and adults' (N = 263) ability to inhibit privileged knowledge and simulate a naïve perspective were examined. Participants viewed pictures that were then occluded aside from a small ambiguous part. They offered suggestions for how a naïve person might interpret the hidden pictures, as well as rated the probability that a naïve person would think of several different pictures (with one picture being the actual item). Results indicated a significant increase between ages 4 and 7 years in attributing novel interpretations; however, all age groups overestimated the probability that a naïve person could guess the actual pictures. Individual differences in working memory and inhibitory control predicted participants' thought suggestions as well as aspects of their probability judgments.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Davis.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hansen Lagattuta
authors.forename: Liat
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sayfan
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D056345:Theory of Mind; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult