✓ Theory of Mind (social cognition)

Question 1

What is Theory of Mind?

Answer 1

refers to the abiloty that each of us has to ‘mind-read’ or to have a personal theory of what other ppl know, or are feeling/thinking

each of us have a ToM when we have a belief (i.e. a theory) about what is in someone else’s mind

Question 2

What were the 4 Tests for ToM?

Answer 2

Intentional Reasoning = Meltzoff

False-Belief Tasks = Heinz & Perner

Sally-Anne = Baron-Cohen

The Eyes Task = Baron-Cohen

Question 3

What was Meltzoff’s Intentional Reasoning test for ToM?

Answer 3

Meltzoff found that toddlers aged 18 months showed ToM

• they observed an adult place beads into a jar

experimental condition:
adult struggled & dropped beads

control condition:
adult successfully placed beads in jar

Question 4

What were the Findings of Meltzoff’s Intentional Reasoning test for ToM?

Answer 4

• 18 month yr old toddlers in both conditions placed the beads in the jar
• suggesting they knew what the adult intended to do

Question 5

What was Heinz & Perner’s False-Belief Tasks test for ToM?

Answer 5

story about a boy called Maxi

• ppts were given a scenario about which cupboard Maxi will look in for some chocolate
• put in blue but when Maxi leaves moved to green (green not actually right)

Question 6

What were the Findings of Heinz & Perner’s False-Belief Tasks test for ToM?

Answer 6

3 year olds:
nearly all say green cupboard (incorrect)
(it IS in the green but Maxi will believe still in blue cupboard - a false belief)

4 year olds:
some children say blue cupboard (correct)

6 year olds:
all children say blue cupboard (correct)

Question 7

What was Baron-Cohen’s Sally-Anne Study test for ToM?

Answer 7

false-belief task of a story abt Sally & Anne

• Sally places a marble in her basket
• Sally leaves
• Anne puts the marble in her box
• children have to work out where Sally will look for the marble

Question 8

What were the Findings of Baron-Cohen’s Sally-Anne Study test for ToM?

Answer 8

85% of control group (neurotypical) correctly identified where Sally would look
vs.
only 20% of the autism group could correctly identify

= deficits in ToM might be an explanation for autism

Question 9

What was Baron Cohen’s The Eyes Task test for ToM?

Answer 9

designed to measure high-functioning Autism/Asperger syndrome in adolescents and adults

• task involves reading complex emotions in pictures of faces
• only showed eyes

Question 10

What were the Findings of Baron Cohen’s The Eyes Task test for ToM?

Answer 10

• adults w Asperger syndrome score on avg. 16.3/25
• neurotypical score on avg. 20.3/25

= suggesting there is an impairment of ToM in people w Autism