Theory of Mind

Question 1

Define Theory of Mind

Answer 1

Ability to attribute mental states to ourselves and others

Question 2

What does Theory of Mind include?

Answer 2

Thoughts, Beliefs and Intentions

Question 3

Why is it difficult to understand other minds?

Answer 3

Because the content is unobservable

Question 4

How does one’s history help us understand someone’s mind?

Answer 4

We can track their beliefs

Question 5

What can we make about observable actions?

Answer 5

Mental state inferences

Question 6

How can we see things from someone else’s point of view?

Answer 6

Take their perspective

Question 7

Why is TOM useful? (2 points)

Answer 7

Can predict future actions and behaviours and may give a reason for past behaviours.

Question 8

What have we found in non-human primates?

Answer 8

They assess the visual perspective of others and use this to decide which food to compete for (dominance)

Question 9

What do Western Scrub-jays do similarly to primates?

Answer 9

Cache food, pilfer other’s caches and then re-cache based on whether they were observed

Question 10

What is one concern with TOM in animals?

Answer 10

Is it as fully developed as it is in humans?

Question 11

What do beliefs predict?

Answer 11

Behaviour

Question 12

What is children’s inferences most likely based on, instead of beliefs?

Answer 12

Their knowledge

Question 13

What are some ways to test children’s TOM?

Answer 13

Unexpected transfer test and Deceptive box test

Question 14

What is an Explicit Task?

Answer 14

Children are asked to explicitly report the contents of another mind

Question 15

What is an Implicit Task?

Answer 15

Children imply they are aware of other minds through their behaviour

Question 16

What does actively trying to deceive another person imply?

Answer 16

An understanding of other minds

Question 17

When do children rapidly acquire a concept of ‘belief’?

Answer 17

Around their 4th birthday

Question 18

When children did the unexpected transfer test, their performance was helped when…

Answer 18

The protagonist turned around instead of leaving the room and the children were asked to enact the search phase

Question 19

What were the findings for the deceptive box-test-mailing procedure?

Answer 19

60% of 3-year-olds answered correctly

Question 20

In regards to culture, what was found about the rate of development?

Answer 20

It’s similar but the timing is different

Question 21

What is associated with poorer TOM performance?

Answer 21

Single parenting, parental distress and poorer economic situations

Question 22

Children with more what are developmentally advantaged in passing a test of false belief compared with singletons?

Answer 22

Siblings