Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: In this article, I briefly review theories about the development of theory of mind, and then examine evidence for minimalism, the idea that infants initially understand only behaviors. To this end, I consider the need for a wide variety of species to predict the behaviors of other animals and that human infants are not unique in this regard. I also discuss evidence for infants' understanding of behaviors, including their good statistical learning skills and their rich exposure to patterns of behavior, which correlates with their acquisition of mental state vocabulary. Finally, I discuss evidence for how maternal mental state talk, as well as children's evolving language and understanding of self, contributes to learning that mental states underlie behaviors.
Source: Child Development Perspectives
DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12483
Author: Ted Ruffman
Institution: University of Otago
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,350
Award: G4372029001
OpenAlex ID: W4377984009