Unit 3 Flashcards
Do we see ourselves as different than objects? What is it? Why?
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- yes
- theory of mind -social cognition
- we see ourselves as rational agents with inner life & subjective view of the world
- intentional actions based on reasons -can explain to others
What is social life?
communicate, cooperate, compete, or engage w/ other ppl
When do we know kids start to have theory of mind (not asking for age)
- when children ascribe representational states such as beliefs & desires
1) understanding that a certain state might misrepresent a situation
2) appreciating that the very same situation might be represented differently by two agents or the same one later on
Up until what age do kids fail false-belief tasks?
-4
What are examples of false-belief tasks?
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- Change in Location Task (Sally-Anne)
- unexpected content task (smarties/pencils)
- Appearance-Reality Task (rock/sponge)
At what age do you develop understanding of fictional mental states (imagination)?
-2
Who has delays in ToM?
- autism (have some deficiencies with ToM)
- deaf children with hearing parents -b/c lack in communicative experiences)
With ToM what do you understand first as a kid and then later in adolescence?
- infants - some belief -implicit
- then understand desires -or ascribe desires to other ppl after age 2
- then in adolescence understand higher-order beliefs & more complicated emotions
Does ToM decline with age?
-controversial - less accurate to ascribe higher-order mental states (ex. white lies) -don’t recognize subtle emotions - but it might just be other stuff declining/lack in motivation
What plays a crucial role in ToM development? (hint - what does Vygotsky like?) + 1 more?
- language
- helps to learn the words want & desire
- helps with the semantics
- Executive functions - working memory
What family background stuff is correlated w/ ToM?
-ToM competence associated w/ fam bg - maternal education & socioeconomic status - number of older siblings also positively
What part of the brain is associated with ToM?
-prefrontal cortex - specifically -temporal-parietal junction
What is theory theory?
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- basically you create theories about the world & other people’s mental states -update rules as learn/grow - use your learning of others to ascribe to mental states to them?
- about experience
What is simulation theory?
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- introspection & imagination
- role-taking -simulate & imitate behaviour
- our mental lives we use to ascribe mental states to others - make use of our own to simulate others
- introspection
- non-introspectionist
What is introspection in the simulation theory?
introspect the kinds of mental states we are in then use them in order to simulate what other ppl might be thinking
What is non-introspectionist?
-in simulation we simply take our own cognitive processes offline & imagine what a given situation might look like from another perspective
What does neuroimaging say about simulation theory?
-brain lights up similarly when watch someone perform action or express feeling
What is Nativism?
- ToM is innate - don’t have to learn - -implicit & explicit
- babies succeed at implicit, but can’t (innately) do explicit until later
Two systems account?
-opposes nativism - says there’s implicit and explicit but only implicit is innate but then through second system you learn beliefs
what is theory of mind?
the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others; understanding that mental states influence behaviour
- thinking about beliefs, desires, intentions, perceptions, emotions, knowledge, empathy
- use it in social interactions & watching TV - try to understand other’s mental state
- what’s going on inside your mind & others
What are the 3 criteria of Theory of Mind?
1) must understand that others have mental states
2) must understand that others’ mental states can differ from your own (overcoming egocentrism)
3) must understand that mental states can be inaccurate to reality
What is false belief understanding
understanding that others can believe something that is wrong or false with reality -can believe something that’s not true
Egocentrism & ToM?
- three mountains task
- have to understand another’s perspective/mental state
What is an example of Change in Location False Belief Task?
- Sally & Anne - put marble in basket -move the marble to box when the toy sally is out of the room - when ask the kid where sally would think the marble is they say the box even though sally would think basket
- doesn’t understand sally would have a a belief that is false
- 3 year olds fail
- 4-5 year olds pass
What is an example of Unexpected Contents False Belief Task?
-ask kid what’s in smarties box - they say smarties - show it’s pencils inside - ask what someone out of the room would think is inside - they say pencils
What is an example of Appearance Reality False Belief Task?
-sponge is painted like a rock - they think rock, but touch it -then ask if mom was here and she didn;t touch it what would she think it is & they say sponge
At what age do kids pass false-belief tasks?
- 3 year olds fail
- 4-5 pass
- but individual differences
Is ToM universal?
- yes but doesn’t mean it develops the same -diff order/patterns
- most research done in West - but example - Fiji ToM develops later because in culture it’s rude to put yourself is someone elses mind
In Fiji when do kids pass ToM tasks?
-6 or 7 instead of 4-5