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Theory of Mind Questions
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:06 pm
by kazvan
having trouble with an assignment please help
in relation to theory of the mind what is meant by the term theory of the mind give examples to support your answer.
and how does an understanding of theory of the mind assist carers to better understand childrens behaviour
thanks
Re: Theory of Mind Questions
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:07 pm
by Lorina
Hi Kazvan,
Hope you had a great week... I found out some info that should help you out with your question:
1) What is theory of mind?
The most important development in early childhood social cognition is the development of theory of mind. Social cognition is at the heart of children’s ability to get along with other people and to see things from their point of view. The basis of this crucial ability lies in the development of theory of mind. “Theory of mind” refers to our understanding of people as mental beings, each with his or her own mental states – such as thoughts, wants, motives and feelings. We use theory of mind to explain our own behaviour to others, by telling them what we think and want, and we interpret other people’s talk and behaviour by considering their thoughts and wants.
2) Supporting examples of theory of mind:
By age 2, children clearly show awareness of the difference between thoughts in the mind and things in the world. In pretend play (e.g., pretending a block is a car), toddlers show that they can distinguish between an object – the block – and thoughts about the object – the block as a car. They also understand that people will feel happy if they get what they want and will feel sad if they do not. And at this age children see that there may be a difference between what they want and what another person wants. This developing awareness is seen in children’s language too: 2-year-olds talk about what they and others want and like and feel; when they are 3, they also talk about what people think and know.
A crucial development occurs around 4 years of age when children realize that thoughts in the mind may not be true. For example, children are allowed to discover that a familiar candy box actually contains pencils, and then are asked what their friend will think is in the box, before looking inside it. Three-year-olds assume that the friend will know it has pencils inside, just as they now do, but 4-year-olds recognize that the friend will be tricked, just as they were. Three-year-olds also do not remember that their own belief has changed.If the pencils are put back in the box and they are asked what they thought was inside before opening it, they’ll say “pencils” not “candy” but 4-year-olds remember they thought it was candy. That is, 3-year-olds are not simply egocentric, i.e., thinking everyone knows what they know, rather, they come to understand their own minds and those of other people at the same time. By the age of 4 or 5 years, children realize that people talk and act on the basis of the way they think the world is, even when their thoughts do not reflect the real situation, and so they will not be surprised if their uninformed friend looks for candy in the box they know has pencils inside.
Some factors in the social environment influence the rate of typical development of theory of mind: for example, children show earlier awareness of mental states if their mothers talk about thoughts, wants and feelings,and provide reasons when correcting misbehavior. Children with brothers and/or sisters are aware of mental states sooner than only children. The rate of development is also influenced by children’s participation in pretend play, their experiences of story-book reading and of talking with others about past experiences.
3) What you can do to support the development of theory of mind in early childhood:
Nonetheless, environmental factors do influence the development of theory of mind. It can be enhanced by opportunities:
–to engage in rich pretend play;
–to talk about people’s thoughts, wants, and feelings, and the reasons why they act the way they do;
–to hear and talk about stories, especially those involving surprises, secrets, tricks, and mistakes, that invite children to see things from different points of view (for example, Red Riding Hood doesn’t know that the wolf is dressed up as grandma).
Parents and caregivers can be made aware of signs, such as lack of pretend play or lack of shared attention and interest, that might indicate theory of mind is not developing in the typical way, which is the case with children at risk for autism, for example.
You can also check out the following links for more info on theory of mind in general and in early childhood:
1) http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/docum ... dANGxp.pdf
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind
Enjoy studying 
,
L.A