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7. Cognitive development: theory of mind (describing others - person…
7. Cognitive development: theory of mind
describing others - person perception
Barenboim
(1977, 1981)
descriptions of 3 people by 6-16yo:
behavioural comparisons
,
psychological constructs
,
psychological comparisons
(organising relationships)
children & young people go from descriptions of observation to inference/external to internal characteristics
age-related changes
from 7/8y: inner traits
adolescence: comparisons with other people/situations; recognition of inconsistencies
up to 6-8y: ext features
understanding minds
ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, desires, etc.)
achieving a 'theory of mind' considered key milestone in development
evident at 4y
false belief
task/
unexpected transfer
task - tests children's understanding of others' minds
Gopnik & Astington
(1998):
deceptive box
task
<4y: pencil; >4y: Smarties
mirrors findings of the Maxi choc study
4y is 'magic age'
studies
Wimmer & Perner (1983)
% who correctly attributed the 'false belief'
3yo: 0%; 4-5yo: 57%; 6-9yo: 92%
Wimmer and Hartl's
(1991)
state change task
80% of 3-4yo said sweets vs 40% in deceptive box task
do not understand 'think'
hybrid deceptive box/state change
same as state change task but involved no sweets
when asked, "When you first saw the box what was inside?" most responded with "pencil" --
no access to false belief to 3yo
no conceptual deficit in word 'think' but state change helped them with false belief
posting version of deceptive box task
(
Mitchel & Lacohee
, 1991)
children can be
helped to acknowledge false belief
if it has
bearing on reality
were asked,"When you posted your picture, what did you think was inside?" Here, more children said "sweets" (so acknowledge false belief)
have
concept of belief
but
difficulty in consistent use