Theory of mind Flashcards
What is a theory of mind?
An individuals understanding that other people have seperate mental states (beliefs,intensions and emotions) and that others see the worls from a diffrent point of view than their own.
What did Premack and Woodruff propose?
To explain chimps’abilities to decieve their keepers , the theory of mind (TOM) refers to an individuals understanding that other people have seperate mental states an see the world from a diffrent point of view.
What is a theory of mind nessecary for?
For individuals to develop social relationships and recognise the possible thoughts and feelings of those they are interacting with.
What does TOM allow us to make predictions about ?
Other peoples behaviour based on what we infer about their thoughts and feeligs.
False belief by Wimmer and Perner.
Developed the orgiganal ‘false belief’ task to assess an individyuals understanding that other people hold diffrent beliefs to themeselves and that these can be wrong.
Testing theory of mind reaserch by Perner in 1987.
Carried out another type of false belief task. Children were shown a smarties tube and asked what it was. they were thwn shown that there was actually pencils inside.They then asked the children what another person would think was inside. They found that 4 year olds could answer correctly but 3 year olds would say ‘pencils’.
Wellmans research on how the theory of mind develops.
Suggested that children’s understanding of self and other peoples minds develop in 3 stages that the TOM becomes progressivly more sophisticated ways of developing a theory and adapting it as new info becomes avaliable.
