title: Theory of mind plasticity in aging: The role of baseline, verbal knowledge, and executive functions.
abstract: Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to the self and others in order to explain and predict social behaviour. Meta-analytic results have shown a decline in ToM abilities in healthy older adults. Recent research has also highlighted the possibility of enhancing older adults' ToM performance through group conversations focused on mental states. Our aim was to determine whether the extent to which older people benefited from a ToM training was predicted by performance on a battery of executive functioning tasks, on baselines in ToM tasks, on verbal knowledge. Forty-three older adults (60-84 years) participated in a three-session ToM training programme that has previously shown to be effective in improving ToM ability. Results showed that verbal knowledge predicted training gains in practiced ToM tasks. In addition, age, executive functions and baseline performance predicted training gains in non-practiced ToM tasks. Results are discussed in light of the amplification model.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lecce
authors.affiliation: a Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4819-2120
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ceccato
authors.affiliation: a Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6692-3279
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.affiliation: b Headache Science Centre, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bottiroli
authors.affiliation: a Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavallini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000066492:Cognitive Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056345:Theory of Mind
keywords: Theory of mind; aging; executive functions; plasticity; training