Theory of Mind

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Theory-of-mind research investigates children’s understanding of people as mental beings, who have beliefs, desires, emotions, and intentions, and whose actions and interactions can be interpreted and explained by taking account of these mental states. The article begins with a description of theory of mind by outlining key foundational components, such as false belief and mental representation. It continues with a comprehensive description of theory-of-mind development from infancy through to the school-age years. It then outlines individual differences in typical development, diverse atypical developments, and cultural differences in theory of mind. Finally, various theoretical explanations of theory-of-mind development are briefly discussed.

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Janet Wilde Astington is professor and chair of the Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, where she has held a faculty position since 1990. She obtained a PhD in applied cognitive science, University of Toronto (OISE) in 1985, after which she played an important role in the development of the field of children's theories of mind. She is author of The Child's Discovery of the Mind (Harvard University Press, 1993, published in French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean translations) and numerous articles and chapters, as well as editor of four books on theory of mind. She is also a former editor of the journal Cognitive Development. She has held research grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada continuously since 1988. Her research interest is in children's developing understanding of the social world, especially during the preschool and early school-age years, with a particular focus on the role of language in the development of social cognition.

Lisa Ain Dack is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She holds a postgraduate scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She received an honors BA in psychology from Queen's University and an MA in developmental psychology and education at OISE/UT. Her research focuses on social cognition in infants and preschoolers.

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