ToM - Theory of Mind

Question 1

What is Theory of Mind?

Answer 1

It is the understanding that other people have different beliefs , emotions , intentions and they see the world from a different point of view to their own

Question 2

Is ToM not innate?

Answer 2

Yes it is not evident from birth

Question 3

What happens before babies can understand other people?

Answer 3

They must develop a sense of self, realising they are seprate to other people

Self-rcognition develops rapidly from birth to two years

Question 4

What has research shown how children develop a sense of self?

Answer 4

This is distinct from others

This leads an interest in others around them

Hence beginning to develop a ToM

Question 5

What is an accronym for Theory of Mind?

Answer 5

ToM

Question 6

What is the timeline of the development of self-recognition?

Answer 6

• 6-10 weeks - babies want to get used to faces showing emotion
• 3 months - eye-to-eye contact emerges
• 12-15 months - Pointing directions to avert other people’s attention
• 18-moths - pretend play emerages and child uses ‘ I, me , he , she;
• 2 years- sense of self has developed

Question 7

What does ToM refer to?

Answer 7

The understanding that other people have different beliefs , emotions and intentions and they see the world from a different point of view to their own

This understanding is not evident from birth

Question 8

An everday example of ToM is:

Answer 8

• Friend is nervous when sitting their A-level exams and you arent

Question 9

Most people develop the ability to put themselves into someone else’s shoes and to ‘take their perspective’ , this helps to

Answer 9

• Understand different points of views
• From birth to 2 years old , self -recognition is fully developed this is a useful cognitive skill that helps put someone else’s shoes and ‘take their perspective’ to help consider the factors led to those mental states

Question 10

What does Theory of Mind allows us to do…?

Answer 10

• The child to understand that must develop their own sense of self (predict behaviours) realising they are seprate to other people leading an interest around them

Question 11

When does ToM develop?

Answer 11

Around children in the ages of 4-5 years old

Question 12

How is theory of mind assessed?

Answer 12

Using false belief questions

e.g Maxi and his mother

Question 13

Research of Wimmer and Perner (1983) - Maxi and his mother (chocolate)

Aim

Answer 13

• The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of ToM and compare the development between normal to autistic children

Question 14

Research of Wimmer and Perner (1983) - Maxi and his mother (chocolate)

Procedure

Answer 14

ToM was tested in research using a story about Maxi and his mother

In this study , 3-4 years old were told a story in which

Maxi’s mother had brought some chocolate to make a cake

Maxi sees her put chocolate in the blue cupboard and goes to play

Mother uses chocolate for cake and puts in green cupboard then Maxi wants chocolate

Researcher acts story with dolls and match box to make it understandable

Final question asked is “Which cupbaord Maxi looks in*” to 3-9year olds

Question 15

Research of Wimmer and Perner (1983) - Maxi and his mother (chocolate)

Findings

Answer 15

• The findings of this is they found that 4 -year olds correctly identified in correct cupboard they have ToM while 3 years old didn’t

Question 16

Research of Wimmer and Perner (1983) - Maxi and his mother (chocolate)

Conculsion

Answer 16

• This means ToM develops around 3-4 years old

Question 17

Discuss the development of child’s theory of mind (16 marks)

A01

Answer 17

• ToM is
• ToM allows
• Sense of self
• First way ToM is tested using false-belief Qs
• Explaining research of Maxi and her mother

Question 18

AO3

Limitation is the low validity of false belief tasks

Answer 18

1. Bloom and German (2000) suggest that false belief takss require other cognitive abilities (e.g memory) as well as TOm. Studies provide visual aids to help with memory of false belief stories have found younger children may succeed
2. Furthermore children have well-developed ToM and still struggle with false belief tasks
3. And children who cannot perform well on false belief tasks still enjoy pretend-play which requires ToM
4. These two arguements suggest that false-belief tasks do not measure ToM which challenges validity of research

Question 19

A strength of ToM is the result of both Nature and Nurture

Answer 19

• Shown by nurture side as it appears that
• Having large family especially older sibiling means the child is challenged to think about feelings of others when resolving conflicts
• On the nature and nurture Liu research found that over their comparision over 300 chinese and north american children in terms of ToM have similar sequence of development but time differed by much as two years supporting biological - ToM appearinh both cultures and experimental as timing differed due to social enivnoment
• This increases validity of ToMa and can be generlaised more

Question 20

A limitation is that there is no clear understanding how ToM develops

Answer 20

1. Perner et al 20020 afopted a Piagetian approach and suggest ToM develops in line with other cognitive abilities (domain -general)
2. This view suggest ToM is an innate ability which develps with age
3. However , Astington takes a morw Vygotskian approach focusing on more social influences that affect ToM suggesting we internalise our ToM during early interactions with adults
4. A lack of understanding of origin of ToM should not stop us using the idea though it would be preferable to understand where the difficultuies come from as that may inform treatments for ASD

Question 21

AO3

A strength is the application to understanding ASD

Answer 21

• ToM research has been useful in hellping us to understand the differing experiences of people with ASD. Baron-Cohen even suggests that ASD is a direct result of ToM
• Tager Flusberg reports that recent research does not support the idea that ToM prolems are specific to ASD and all people with ASD have ToM deficits
• This means ASD and ToM may not be closely linked as we once believed and only partial explanation