Lecture 6

Question 1

What age does pretending start and why is that believed

Answer 1

Around 18 months, because the onset of symbolic representational abilities and de-coupling abilities and an interest in joining in with others

Question 2

Give an example of symbolic representation

Answer 2

I can pretend this is pen is a gun

Question 3

Give an example of de-coupling abilities

Answer 3

I know this pen is a pen but also for the moment I will pretend it’s a gun

Question 4

What can be defined as pretending

Answer 4

One thing standing for another thing, an imagined thing or an imagined attribute of a thing

Question 5

Give examples of infant teasing and cheekiness between the ages of 8 months and 17 months

Answer 5

8 months = takes out the videos and gives a cheeky smile - knows he’s not meant to but does it for attention. 11 months = touching video wires, plugs and hot things to tease mother; false request for something then pushing it away. 14 months = climbing stairs, being told no but carrying on; does the opposite of what it told

Question 6

What does pretending involve

Answer 6

Pretending with gestures and social agreements seem t happen more than half a year earlier than pretending about the meaning of things… easier in some way? Teasing and cheekiness are informative about pretence as well as about deception

Question 7

Discuss similarities between pretending and believing

Answer 7

Partial logical similarity: pretending/believing that this pen is a microphone. Social embeddedness: pretending/believing both part of social routines

Question 8

Discuss the differences between pretending and believing

Answer 8

Age at which they develop; pretending = 18 months, believing = 2-4 months and predicting false beliefs from 4 years. Alleged cognitive pre-requisites, pretending = decoupling, believing = metarepresentation

Question 9

What are the common types of deception in adults

Answer 9

Lies = 81%. Half truth = 4%. Exaggeration = 5%.

Question 10

What are the common motivations in adult deception

Answer 10

Resources = 13%. Conflict avoidance = 29%. Protection of others = 18%. Self-protection = 17%

Question 11

Discuss the earliest evidence of concealment’s in humans

Answer 11

1st year = passive hiding, deliberate ignoring, hiding object,. 2nd year = active hiding. 3rd year = verbal denial.

Question 12

Discuss the earliest evidence of distraction in humans

Answer 12

1st year = Close-range. 2nd year = To distal object. 3rd year = Verbal

Question 13

Discuss the earliest evidence of attraction in humans

Answer 13

1st year = fake crying. 2nd year = distal objects

Question 14

Discuss the earliest evidence of creating image

Answer 14

1st year = Feign innocence, affiliation, threat. 2nd year = Suppress expression, Affiliation. 3rd year = Self-competence

Question 15

When is false belief understanding believed to start

Answer 15

15 months