Children develop ideas about their and other minds {theory of mind, development}. Knowing what relation moving or stationary objects have to oneself {intentionality, mind} begins at nine months old. Following another's eye direction toward distant objects begins at nine months old. At age 12 to 24 months, infants realize that people are pointing at or looking at something. Knowing that another person is looking at same object {attention sharing}, so two people attend to same thing, begins at 18 months old.
At age 24 to 36 months, toddlers start talking about goals, feelings, and thoughts. Later, they learn that perceptions from their viewpoint differ from perceptions from other viewpoints. Later, they learn that beliefs can be false and that people can deceive.
By four years old, children know that they and other people have beliefs and goals and that these guide behavior {belief-desire reasoning}.
autism
Autistic children appear to have no theory of mind.
animals
Animals seem to have no theory of mind.
test
False-belief tests can check if people have theories of mind. People can see someone place something at a location and see someone else move it while the first one is not looking. Tests ask people to name place where the first one will look for something.
People with theories of mind realize that the first one does not know that something moved, so the first one will look at the original place. People with no theory of mind will think only that something is now in new position and that everyone knows where it is, so the first one will look in the new place. If people do not know where the first one will look, they are still developing theories of mind.
Biological Sciences>Zoology>Development>Nervous System
4-Zoology-Development-Nervous System
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Date Modified: 2022.0224