title: Theory of Mind in aging: Comparing cognitive and affective components in the faux pas test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Theory of Mind (ToM) is a complex human ability that allows people to make inferences on others' mental states such as beliefs, emotions and desires. Previous studies on ToM in normal aging have provided heterogeneous findings. In the present study we examined whether a mixed calculation of different aspects of ToM may have contributed to these conflicting results. We had two aims. First, we explored the age-related changes in the performance of cognitive vs. affective ToM. Second, we investigated the extent to which the effect of aging on cognitive vs. affective ToM is mediated by age-related differences in executive functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  To address these issues three age groups (young, young-old, and old-old adults) were compared on cognitive and affective ToM using the faux pas test. In addition, participants were tested using a battery of executive function tasks tapping on inhibition, working memory updating, and word fluency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analyses indicated that young adults outperform both young-old and old-old adults on cognitive ToM but not on affective ToM. Correlations showed that, whereas cognitive ToM was significantly associated with age, working memory updating, and inhibition, affective ToM was not. Finally, analyses revealed that individual differences in working memory updating (but not inhibition) mediated the effect of age on cognitive ToM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the view of selective age-related differences on cognitive, but not affective, ToM in normal aging. The distinction between the two ToM components is further supported by a dissociable pattern of correlations with executive functions.
authors.affiliation: C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: sara.bottiroli@unipv.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bottiroli
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavallini
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ceccato
authors.affiliation: C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Tomaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lecce
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D056345:Theory of Mind; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Cognitive and affective components; Executive functions; Theory of Mind