Theory of Mind

What is Autism?

- children with autism don't understand others behaviour and find it confusing bc they can't predict what they will do. Can find some beh frightening. - autistics show difficulty: - joint attention - pretend play - false belief - reading expressions from eyes - one of 5 pervasive development disorder (PDD) - classic, Aspergers, Retts, Disintegrative PDD not otherwise specified - manifest age b/f 3 and effect 0.1% pop - main symptoms - 3 - social impairment - comms abnormality - restricted repetitive behaviour - Heritable disorder with neuropathology quite subtle - co ocurrence of differential diagnoses such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, obsessional features

What other methods can test ToM

- recognition of the mental states of others - present list of words to a participant and ask them decide whether the heard words are consistent with the list presented. one list includes mental state words and the other consists of words relating to the body - truth false answers and measure activity in the brain

ToM & Autism

3 main: - executive dysfunction - weak central coherence - empathyising-systems (Baron Cohen) : advanced forms of mind blindness

what is False Belief

A test that determines a child's ability to understand that others can have a belief about the world that is wrong. Children must possess cognitive functions such as executive functions to pass false belief. Exec functions needs for planning ahead, inhibiting actions, executing actions in a series Cognitive inhibition is essential to False belief and refers to the skills of inhibiting certain thoughts and habits at will.

Core Knowledge Theorist view

Children's nature includes Innate understanding of core concepts or some kind of specialist learning ability that allows them to form concepts early and effortlessly.

How does it develop in people?

Commences with early infant showing interest in people rather than objects and start to imitate facial expressions teaching the infant behaviour and emotional recognition. In the 1st and 2nd yrs of life the child learns about intention and joint attention The child will then learn gesture and this is before verbal language. ToM systems starts to operate at 13-15 mths at the same time language develops. 18 mths children show clear signs of sensitivities to others intentions. ToM develops from here. At 18 mths pretend plays occurs facilitating ToM development through joint proposal, role assignment and metacommunication. Between 18-24 mths there is a conversion of several important developmental milestones such as the true understanding of joint attention, deliberate imitation and the ability to track a speakers intention during learning and decoding words. By 2 years an understanding of how desire guides actions. ToM develops between 3-5 years and by age 3 children may show understanding between beliefs and actions - which is key to ToM develpment.

What is intention?

Desire to act in a certain way. It becomes evident at approx 8 mths

methods to test MoT - False Belief task

FB consists of a narration followed by questions that require well developed ToM skills to answer questions correctly. False belief one of the most common used.

Do animals have ToM?

From an evolutionary perspective chimps do have a ToM as they can understand the goals and intentions of people and they can perceive the knowledge of others but they do not possess self awareness and series of beliefs. Potentially other monkeys show ToM such as Rhesus monkeys.

Info Processing Theorist view

Growth of info processing skills is essential for understanding of others minds. False belief correlates with ability to reason about complex counter factual statements with the ability to inhibit own behaviour. Therefore there are complex info processing modules that allow growth of ToM

What is ToM?

It is a complex cognitive function that requires integration of information from many sources including memory, joint attention, complex perception recognition, language processing, understanding others intentions and goals, moral reasoning, emotion processing recognition, empathy and imitation.

what is mentalising?

Making sense of another persons behaviour. we can also imagine and predict their behaviour on an ongoing basis.

Piaget's and Info processing theorists view

Naive Psychology develops through interaction with nature and nurture

How did ToM (theory) develop?

Original idea introduced in 1978 by Premack & Woodruff using chimps to determine if they could understand human goals.

Empiricist's view

Psychological understanding arises from interactions with others. i.e. preschoolers with siblings out perform those without siblings

What is Simulation Theory?

Simulating the thought process or desires of someone else to predict the persons next decision, movement or choice. Arose as a result of doubts whether people represent causal laws or theories in their heads. Suggest that people use own mental mechanisms to calculate and predict the mental processes of others by putting themselves in the shoes of the other person. Cameron and Deverski simulated a scenario. Subjects given info about 2 travellers on route same limo on way to airport. in scenario who is more upset subject A or B? Most say B, why? Put yourself in their shoes and imagine how you would feel.

why is ToM important?

So that we can understand the intentional behaviour of others as this is the basis of most social interactions with others. It also helps us to anticipate the actions of others.

Difference between

TT depicts mind reading as a detached activity ST depicts mind reading as incorporating an attempt to replicate, mimic or impersonate mental life of target TT and ST are not mutual exclusive can be co-occuring at the same time.

what are the 2 theoretical frameworks to ToM

Theory Theory Simulation Theory

Definition of theory of mind

ToM is the attribution of mental states to other people. it is a way of putting yourself into someone else's shoes. The definition of ToM will vary fundamentally, though, it is possessing a mental state and a belief in something.

Nativist view

ToM module in brain dedicated to understanding the behaviour of others. Typically developed child exposed to normal environment module in brain matures over the 1st 5 years producing a sophistication of understanding of minds of others.

Why is it a Theory

We won't always really know what another is thinking or feeling therefore we must theorise about it. There isn't anything tangible that allows us to see how a person is feeling or what they are thinking about.

What is joint attention?

Where 2 people focus intentionally on the same point in space. It becomes a refined mechanism between the ages of 9mths and 18mths. Recognition of other people is essential in joint attention.

to have ToM it requires...

a substantial amount of brain work including maturation of brain and interaction with the environment (such as parenting and social relationships) and training and eduction.

What is Theory Theory?

combine Neo-nativist, Piaget and constructivism. argue that child enters world with more knowledge than proposed by Piaget, but accomplish mind reading by making a theory about what people are thinking. people make theories about mental state and construct a set of explanatory laws that relate to perception of and belief in the brain, how desire informs a decision and decision guiding an action. theorist supporting this: - Wellmen - Specky

what is the kitten study?

connection of ones desires and intentions by Phillips and Wellman 2002. 8 mth old shown 2 stufed kittens, experimenter showing attention to only 1 kitten. screen drops and then when raised the experimenter is holding either the kitten they paid attention to or the kitten paid no attention. children under 12 months hold thegaze regardless however children over 12 months are shocked when they realise the experimenter is hold the kitten shown no attention.

Neo nativist view

infants born with substantial innate knowledge allowing them to get on in the world. Their knowledge is part of their genetic heritage not constructed.

Piaget's belief

infants born without knowledge or ideas of the world. actively construct new understandings through their experiences

Regions od the brain - active with ToM

medial prefrontal cortex orbito frontsl cortex others involed suggests a circut involved in ToM

What is gesture?

often occurs before language and in itself is a form of comms. it plays an important role in joint attention. it typically develops around 9-14mths starting with simple pointing. conventional other gestures arise after this.

Naive Psychology

people have different levels of understanding self and others but at the most basic level we have a common sense of understanding of psych of self and others. crucial for normal human functioning.