How Children with Autism Reason about Other's Intentions: False-Belief and Counterfactual Inferences.
We examine false belief and counterfactual reasoning in children with autism with a new change-of-intentions task. Children listened to stories, for example, Anne is picking up toys and John hears her say she wants to find her ball. John goes away and the reason for Anne's action changes-Anne's mother tells her to tidy her bedroom. We asked, 'What will John believe is the reason that Anne is picking up toys?' which requires a false-belief inference, and 'If Anne's mother hadn't asked Anne to tidy her room, what would have been the reason she was picking up toys?' which requires a counterfactual inference. We tested children aged 6, 8 and 10 years. Children with autism made fewer correct inferences than typically developing children at 8 years, but by 10 years there was no difference. Children with autism made fewer correct false-belief than counterfactual inferences, just like typically developing children.
William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, nº34, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal. celiarasga@hotmail.com.
Célia
C
Rasga
William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, nº34, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal.
Ana Cristina
AC
Quelhas
Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Ruth M J
RMJ
Byrne
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology
Autism; Counterfactuals; False beliefs; Intentions; Reasoning