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Switzer A, Brandel J, Hoffman L. The use of differing verb types in the oral narratives of school-age children. CLINICAL LINGUISTICS & PHONETICS 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38442418 DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2024.2315409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this project was to examine age-related use of action, metacognitive, and metalinguistic verbs because factors related to verb transparency are thought to impact word learning. Performance on fictional, oral narratives elicited using a single-episode picture was evaluated for 84 children with typical language (TL) and 38 age-matched children with a Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) ranging in age from 5;1 to 14;4 years of age. Narrative samples were transcribed and coded for occurrences of action verbs (AV), metacognitive verbs (MCV), and metalinguistic verbs (MLV). The total number of verbs used and the number of different verbs produced in each category were examined across ages, as was the difference in verb usage patterns across language ability groups. A statistically significant increase in the overall use of action, MCV, and MLV with age was observed. TL children used a wider variety of each verb type as compared to those with DLD. Age-related progression for verb use was observed in the fictional narrative generation task by both groups of children. However, despite similar rates of total verb use, children with DLD produced fewer different verbs in the three categories. These findings indicate the total number of verbs used is similar in children with TL and DLD, but there is a difference in the number of different verbs used in functional tasks such as narratives for children with DLD. These results also indicate a need for ongoing examination of the factors not only impacting verb acquisition but also use in communication tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Switzer
- Speech-Language Pathologist, Calvert County Public Schools, Prince Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Jayne Brandel
- Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - LaVae Hoffman
- Communication Disorders Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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2
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Caldwell MP, Cheung H, Cheung SK, Li JB, Carrey Siu TS. Visuospatial perspective-taking in social-emotional development: enhancing young children’s mind and emotion understanding via block building training. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:264. [DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00976-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to represent one's own and others' mental states, and emotion understanding involves appropriately comprehending and responding to others' emotional cues in social interactions. Individual differences in mind and emotion understanding have been associated strongly with verbal ability and interaction and, as such, existing training for children's ToM and emotion understanding is mostly language-based. Building on the literature on embodied cognition, this study proposes that mind and emotion understanding could be facilitated by one's visuospatial experience in simulating other's frames of reference.
Methods
This protocol consists of two training studies. Study 1 will examine if visuospatial perspective-taking training promotes ToM and emotion understanding. Participants will consist of 96 4.5-year-olds and will be randomly assigned to one of two training groups: the altercentric block building group (trained to be visuospatial perspective-takers), or the egocentric block building group (no visuospatial perspective-taking is involved). Study 2 will compare the engagement of visuospatial perspective-taking and verbal interaction in the development of mind and emotion understanding. Participants will consist of 120 4.5-year-olds. They will be randomly assigned to one of three training groups: the socialized altercentric block building (both visuospatial perspective-taking and verbal interaction), the parallel altercentric block building (visuospatial perspective-taking only), or the paired dialogic reading (verbal interaction only).
Conclusions
In terms of theoretical implications, the potential causal relationship between visuospatial perspective-taking and ToM and emotion understanding may shed new insights on what underlies the development of mental state understanding. The findings of this study also have practical implications: researchers and educators may popularize visuospatial perspective-taking training in the form of block-building games if it is found to be effective in complementing conventional language-based theory-of-mind training.
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3
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Sudo M, Cheung ZKP, Okada Y, Daniels J. How I wonder what you are: Children's songs as a source of mental and internal state information. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mioko Sudo
- Department of Psychology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
- School of Social Sciences Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Singapore
| | - Zoe Ka Pui Cheung
- Department of Psychology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Yasuko Okada
- Research Institute for Language Education Seisen University Shinagawa‐ku Tokyo Japan
| | - Jaxenne Daniels
- Department of Psychology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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4
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Bukhalenkova D, Veraksa A, Gavrilova M, Kartushina N. Emotion Understanding in Bilingual Preschoolers. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12040115. [PMID: 35447687 PMCID: PMC9029717 DOI: 10.3390/bs12040115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of bilingualism on child development have been extensively examined in last decades. Research reveals that simultaneous use of two or more languages affects child's language development, cognitive and social skills. The current study focuses on the so-far understudied theory of emotion understanding in bilingual children. A cohort of 593 bilingual and monolingual 5-6-year-olds took the Russian version of the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) that assesses three components of emotion understanding: emotion understanding of external causes of emotions, reflective causes of emotions; and mental causes of emotions. Our results revealed no group differences between overall emotion understanding and understanding of external and reflective causes of emotions. However, monolingual children had a slightly better understanding of mental causes of emotions compared to bilingual children, when controlling for age, gender, and non-verbal intelligence. These results suggest that children growing up in bilingual environments might require more time and/or language/culture exposure to master the ability to understand mental causes of emotions, taking into account cultural differences, as well as the semantic and lexical differences in emotion labelling and emotion expression in each language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Bukhalenkova
- Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (D.B.); (A.V.)
- Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Moscow 125009, Russia
| | - Aleksander Veraksa
- Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (D.B.); (A.V.)
- Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Moscow 125009, Russia
| | - Margarita Gavrilova
- Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (D.B.); (A.V.)
- Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Moscow 125009, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Natalia Kartushina
- MuliLing, Institute for Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, Norway;
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5
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of social cognition training success across the healthy lifespan. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3544. [PMID: 35241715 PMCID: PMC8894472 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07420-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Socio-cognitive abilities and challenges change across the healthy lifespan and are essential for successful human interaction. Identifying effective socio-cognitive training approaches for healthy individuals may prevent development of mental or physical disease and reduced quality of life. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE Ovid, Web of Science Core Collection, CENTRAL, and PsycInfo databases. Studies that investigated different socio-cognitive trainings for healthy individuals across the human lifespan assessing effects on theory of mind, emotion recognition, perspective taking, and social decision making were included. A random-effects pairwise meta-analysis was conducted. Risk-of-Bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias-2-Tool. Twenty-three intervention studies with N = 1835 participants were included in the systematic review; twelve randomized controlled trials in the meta-analysis (N = 875). Socio-cognitive trainings differed regarding duration and content in different age groups, with theory of mind being the domain most frequently trained. Results of the meta-analysis showed that trainings were highly effective for improving theory of mind in children aged 3–5 years (SMD = 2.51 (95%CI: 0.48–4.53)), children aged 7–9 years (SMD = 2.71 (95%CI: − 0.28 to 5.71)), and older adults (SMD = 5.90 (95%CI: 2.77–9.02). Theory of mind training was highly effective in all investigated age-groups for improving theory of mind, yet, more research on transfer effects to other socio-cognitive processes and further investigation of training effects in other socio-cognitive domains (e.g., emotion recognition, visual perspective taking, social decision making) is needed. Identified characteristics of successful socio-cognitive trainings in different age groups may help designing future training studies for other populations. Registration:www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ (ID: CRD42020193297).
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Harris PL, Cheng L. Evidence for similar conceptual progress across diverse cultures in children’s understanding of emotion. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/01650254221077329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research with adults has increasingly moved beyond the focus on a small set of allegedly basic emotions, each associated with a signature facial expression. That expansion has been accompanied by a greater emphasis on the potential variability of emotion concepts across different cultural settings. In this conceptual review of children’s understanding of emotion, we argue that it is also important in developmental research to look beyond the small set of emotions associated with distinctive facial expressions. At the same time, we caution against any premature rejection of a universalist approach to children’s understanding of emotion. We review three different lines of evidence in support of this stance: (1) children’s ability to appropriately cite situational elicitors for emotions beyond the basic set; (2) their developing understanding of the relations between emotions and other mental processes; and (3) their realization that a person’s facially expressed emotion may not indicate their felt emotion. In each of these three domains, we target studies that have included children from a variety of cultures to assess how far they respond similarly or differently. We conclude that there is robust evidence for similar conceptual progress in children’s understanding of emotion across a range of cultural settings.
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Noyer-Martin M. Reconnaissance d’une émotion chez les enfants de 3 à 5 ans : effets de la nature du support (image/photographie) et du type d’indices visuels traités (globaux, dirigés, focalisés). ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2022. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy1.221.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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8
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Stella FN, Ramírez VA, Ruetti E. Individual Differences in Emotional Appraisal during Development: Analysis of the Role of Age, Gender, and Appraisal Accuracy. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2021; 183:9-22. [PMID: 34766875 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2021.1997896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Emotional appraisal is the process by which different responses are generated from subjective assessments of different stimuli. Children and adults can react differently to the same stimulus. Emotional appraisal is crucial to define emotional processing and its consequent response rather than the properties of the stimulus itself. Age and gender modulate emotional appraisal during development. This study analyzed emotional appraisal in children aged 4 to 8-years-old. The children's emotional appraisal responses and the appraisal accuracy to images with positive, negative, and neutral valence be compared between the different age groups, and according to the gender of the participants. About the appraisal accuracy, the comparisons indicated significant differences for positive and negative images according to the age of the participants, with no differences in the appraisal accuracy of neutral images. Differences in appraisal accuracy for negative images were observed between the 4-years-old group compared to the 7- and 8-years-old group, as well as in 5-years-old participants compared to 7-years-old. Significant differences were found for the positive and negative images between girls and boys, but no differences were found for neutral images. Girls had more appraisals accuracy for positive and negative images. This work highlights the importance of analyzing individual differences associated with emotional processing at different stages of development. This interrogates research findings in which emotional appraisal is carried out considering the valence assigned by adults and highlights the need for a methodological approach that includes individual differences in the appraisal of stimuli used during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Nicolás Stella
- Applied Neurobiology Unit, UNA, CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Verónica Adriana Ramírez
- Applied Neurobiology Unit, UNA, CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eliana Ruetti
- Applied Neurobiology Unit, UNA, CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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9
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Theory of mind, mental state talk, and discourse comprehension: Theory of mind process is more important for narrative comprehension than for informational text comprehension. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 209:105181. [PMID: 34049060 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the relations among theory of mind (ToM), mental state talk, and discourse comprehension. Specifically, we examined the frequency of mental state talk in children's oral recall of narrative texts and informational texts as well as relations among ToM, mental state talk (inclusion of mental state words in the recall of narrative and informational texts), and narrative and informational text comprehension. Results from children in Grade 4 (N = 132; Mage = 10.39 years) revealed that a greater number of mental state talk instances appeared in children's recall of narrative texts than in their recall of informational texts, but the mean number also differed across texts within a genre. ToM skill predicted the extent of mental state talk in narrative texts and informational texts, and the relation was stronger for narrative texts than for informational texts, after accounting for vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, working memory, and attentional control. Mental state talk in narrative texts was extremely strongly related to narrative comprehension, whereas mental state talk in informational texts was weakly related to informational text comprehension. Results suggest that ToM skill relates to mental state talk in the recall of texts, and both ToM and mental state talk play greater roles in comprehension of narrative texts than in comprehension of informational texts.
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10
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Wu J, Liu M, Lin W. Impact of Teacher's Mental State Talk on Young Children's Theory of Mind: A Quasi-Experiment Study. Front Psychol 2021; 12:668883. [PMID: 33841292 PMCID: PMC8033161 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.668883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between teachers' mental state talk and young children's theory of mind with a quasi-experiment. In total, 56 young children were assigned to the experiment group (meanage = 41 months, SD = 2.47, 46% girls) and the control group (meanage = 40.68 months, SD = 2.23, 43% girls). The experiment group was engaged in a 12-week intervention program with mental state talk in storytelling, casual conversations, and role-playing games, whereas the control group received no interventions. All the children were tested with three theory of mind (ToM) tasks before and after the intervention. The results indicated that the experimental group had a significant improvement in the ToM scores, whereas the control group showed no significant change. The educational implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfen Wu
- School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Minmin Liu
- Hangzhou Qiantang Jiangchao Kindergarten, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenqi Lin
- School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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11
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Pragmatics in the elementary school years: the contribute of mental state language used in narrative and persuasive texts. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01462-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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12
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Interactional training interventions boost children’s expressive pragmatic abilities: evidence from a novel multidimensional testing approach. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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13
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The continuous impact of cognitive flexibility on the development of emotion understanding in children aged 4 and 5 years: A longitudinal study. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 203:105018. [PMID: 33212387 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigated the impact of cognitive flexibility on the development of emotion understanding using a longitudinal tracking study. A total of 98 children aged 4 and 5 years were tested for cognitive flexibility, emotion understanding, and verbal ability across three time points within a year. The cross-lagged analyses indicated that early cognitive flexibility played a predictive role in the development of emotion understanding. More precisely, cognitive flexibility at Time 1 predicted emotion understanding at Time 2 and Time 3, and cognitive flexibility at Time 2 predicted emotion understanding at Time 3. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that verbal ability mediated the impact of cognitive flexibility on emotion understanding. Early cognitive flexibility contributed to later emotion understanding by improving children's verbal ability. These findings suggest that there is a verbal ability-mediated pathway from cognitive flexibility to emotion understanding that provides a new perspective for the development mechanism of children's emotion understanding.
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14
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Ding XP, Teo SLY, Tay C. The link between parental mental state talk and children's lying: An indirect effect via false belief understanding. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 201:104990. [PMID: 32977115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.104990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Past research shows that parental mental state talk (MST) is closely associated with children's theory-of-mind (ToM) understanding. The current study extends previous work by investigating whether parental MST is also associated with children's ToM in action (i.e., lying). A total of 90 Singaporean 3- to 5-year-olds participated in this study with their parents. Parental MST was measured using a storytelling task with a wordless picture book. Mediation analysis revealed an indirect effect: Children's ToM understanding served as a mediator in the path between parental MST and children's lying, whereas there was no significant direct effect of parental MST on children's lying. This study is the first to focus on the relation between parental MST and ToM in an applied setting. Our findings suggest that parental MST can help children to develop sociocognitive skills, which in turn can help children to gain the insight that lying may be used as a strategy for personal gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Pan Ding
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570, Singapore.
| | - Sherann Ler Ying Teo
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570, Singapore
| | - Cleo Tay
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570, Singapore.
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15
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Ramírez VA, Lipina SJ, Ruetti E. Individual and socioenvironmental differences in autobiographical emotional appraisal of preschoolers. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 201:104982. [PMID: 32949978 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.104982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Emotions are essential processes for integrating events into autobiographical memory. Different children react differently to the same event. The process through which these different responses are generated from subjective evaluations of an event is called emotional appraisal. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the variations in the emotional appraisal of autobiographical events of 4- and 5-year-old children from homes with different socioenvironmental conditions. We compared preschoolers' emotional appraisal responses with those of their families. The emotional accuracy of the preschoolers was found to differ according to the different socioenvironmental conditions of their homes. Greater appraisal accuracy was observed in the favorable condition, and it was greater for emotional events than for neutral events. Appraisal accuracy also differed with age, with 5-year-olds showing greater appraisal accuracy than 4-year-olds. Therefore, the emotional appraisal of these events may also be affected by age and valence when attributing emotions to personal experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Adriana Ramírez
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Sebastián Javier Lipina
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eliana Ruetti
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Theory of mind development: State of the science and future directions. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 254:141-166. [PMID: 32859285 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
This chapter offers a brief overview of how research on theory of mind development has developed over the recent years, with a focus on current research and theoretical accounts of theory of mind during the infancy period. The topics covered include the factors contributing to individual differences in theory of mind skills in preschoolers, the current replication crisis in theory of mind in infancy, the stability of theory of mind from infancy to childhood, and recent research suggesting that infants' concept of false belief is, at best, immature (e.g., overattribution to inanimate agents). Future directions in theory of mind research are suggested.
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Grazzani I, Brockmeier J. Language Games and Social Cognition: Revisiting Bruner. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2020; 53:602-610. [PMID: 31020461 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-019-09489-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This paper discusses the notion of language games as cultural practices in children's early linguistic and socio-cognitive development. First, we trace the emergence of this concept in Jerome Bruner's experimental and theoretical work at Oxford University in the 1960s, work that was informed by the thinking of Wittgenstein and Austin, amongst others. Second, we provide a systematic historical account of how Bruner has influenced more recent research traditions in developmental psychology, especially in the field of social cognition. Finally, we hone in on one specific approach within this field developed by the Laboratory for Developmental and Educational Studies in Psychology at the University of Milano Bicocca.
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18
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Does executive function influence the development of theory of mind in elementary students? CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-018-0107-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Cavioni V, Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Pepe A, Pons F. Assessing the Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC): A Large Cross-Sectional Study with Children Aged 3-10 Years. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2020.1741365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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20
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Longobardi E, Spataro P, Rossi-Arnaud C. Direct and Indirect Associations of Empathy, Theory of Mind, and Language with Prosocial Behavior: Gender Differences in Primary School Children. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2019; 180:266-279. [PMID: 31456504 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2019.1653817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The authors examined the contributions of empathic concern, perspective taking, theory of mind (ToM), and receptive language to prosocial behavior in a sample of primary school children between 8 and 11 years old. Results showed that empathic concern, perspective taking, and ToM had direct positive effects on prosocial behavior. Girls exhibited higher levels of empathic concern and prosocial behavior; furthermore, gender moderated the observed associations, as perspective taking and ToM were positively and significantly associated with prosocial behavior in boys but not in girls. Last, two indirect paths were detected: empathic concern partially mediated the relation between perspective taking and prosocial behavior, and receptive language had an indirect effect on prosocial behavior by increasing ToM ability. Implications for understanding the impact of the four social-cognitive skills on children's prosocial development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiddia Longobardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome , Italy
| | - Pietro Spataro
- Department of Economy, Universitas Mercatorum , Rome , Italy
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21
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Aslan D, Köksal Akyol A. Impact of an Empathy Training Program on Children's Perspective-Taking Abilities. Psychol Rep 2019; 123:2394-2409. [PMID: 31403904 DOI: 10.1177/0033294119868785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of an empathy training program developed by the researchers to promote perspective-taking abilities of preschool children. Participants were 34 children from two different kindergartens. Children in the treatment group attended an empathy training program that consisted of 30 activities and lasted for 10 weeks, whereas those in the nonintervention group attend the regular preschool program. Data were obtained through individual interviews with children. Perspective-Taking Test for Children, designed by the researchers, was used to assess children's perspective-taking abilities. The results of the study demonstrated that the training program significantly improved perspective-taking performance of children in the treatment group compared to their peers in the nonintervention group, and this effect persisted one month after the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Durmuş Aslan
- Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Aysel Köksal Akyol
- Department of Child Development, Faculty of Health Science, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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22
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Tompkins V, Farrar MJ, Montgomery DE. Speaking Your Mind: Language and Narrative in Young Children's Theory of Mind Development. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 56:109-140. [PMID: 30846045 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Research consistently finds that language and theory of mind are interrelated. The content and qualities of language that specifically predict theory of mind remain under investigation and the question of why language might impact theory of mind development is open. In this chapter we analyze and highlight current findings and theory addressing theory of mind and language. The principal focus is upon typically developing children between ages 2 and 5, a period characterized by extensive development in language and social understanding. We propose that the study of young children's narrative development can inform how and why language and theory of mind are connected. False belief understanding and narrative comprehension share many similarities and this association provides a promising avenue for future work.
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Lonigro A, Longobardi E, Laghi F. Narrative and persuasive texts written by pupils across primary school. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2018.1555459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Lonigro
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Emiddia Longobardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Laghi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
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Parents' Use of Internal State Language with Toddlers at High and Low Genetic Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 49:1366-1377. [PMID: 30488152 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3839-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Parents of toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; high risk, HR) and parents of low risk (LR) toddlers with typically-developing older siblings read a wordless picture book to their child at 22 and 28 months. Parents' and toddlers' internal state language (ISL) was coded; parents reported on toddlers' use of ISL. Diagnostic assessments conducted at 36 months identified three groups: ASD, HR-noASD, LR. Parents did not differ in overall ISL, but parents of toddlers with later ASD attempted to elicit ISL from their children less than parents of LR toddlers. Toddlers increased their use of ISL with age, but those with ASD had lower scores and less age-related improvement than children in the other two groups.
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Arslan B, Verbrugge R, Taatgen N, Hollebrandse B. Accelerating the Development of Second-Order False Belief Reasoning: A Training Study With Different Feedback Methods. Child Dev 2018; 91:249-270. [PMID: 30474107 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
One-hundred-six 5-year-olds' (Mage = 5;6; SD = 0.40) were trained with second-order false belief tasks in one of the following conditions: (a) feedback with explanation; (b) feedback without explanation; (c) no feedback; (d) active control. The results showed that there were significant improvements in children's scores from pretest to posttest in the three experimental conditions even when children's age, verbal abilities, or working memory scores were controlled for. The training effect was stable at a follow-up session 4 months after the pretest. Overall, our results suggest that 5-year-olds' failures in second-order false belief tasks are due to lack of experience and that they can be helped over the threshold by exposure to many stories involving second-order false belief reasoning, including why questions.
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Mori A, Cigala A. ‘Putting oneself in someone else's shoes during childhood: How to learn it’ Training for preschool age children. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 89:750-766. [DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Mori
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries University of Parma Italia
| | - Ada Cigala
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries University of Parma Italia
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Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Conte E, Pepe A, Caprin C. The Relation Between Emotion Understanding and Theory of Mind in Children Aged 3 to 8: The Key Role of Language. Front Psychol 2018; 9:724. [PMID: 29867683 PMCID: PMC5962725 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a significant body of research has investigated the relationships among children’s emotion understanding (EU), theory of mind (ToM), and language abilities. As far as we know, no study to date has been conducted with a sizeable sample of both preschool and school-age children exploring the direct effect of EU on ToM when the role of language was evaluated as a potential exogenous factor in a single comprehensive model. Participants in the current study were 389 children (age range: 37–97 months, M = 60.79 months; SD = 12.66), to whom a False-Belief understanding battery, the Test of Emotion Comprehension, and the Peabody Test were administered. Children’s EU, ToM, and language ability (receptive vocabulary) were positively correlated. Furthermore, EU scores explained variability in ToM scores independently of participants’ age and gender. Finally, language was found to play a crucial role in both explaining variance in ToM scores and in mediating the relationship between EU and ToM. We discuss the theoretical and educational implications of these outcomes, particularly in relation to offering social and emotional learning programs through schools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Grazzani
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Ornaghi
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Conte
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pepe
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Caprin
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Rollo D, Longobardi E, Spataro P, Sulla F. The Construction of Self in Relationships: Narratives and References to Mental States during Picture-Book Reading Interactions between Mothers and Children. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2060. [PMID: 29234293 PMCID: PMC5712376 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies showed that mothers vary in the way in which they discuss past experiences with their children, since they can exhibit narrative (elaborative) or paradigmatic (repetitive) styles to different extents. Given this background, the aim of the present study was to analyze differences in the mothers' use of narrative styles and mental state language (MSL), as a function of children's age and gender. Thirty dyads consisting of mothers and their 4- to 6-year-old children were observed during a picture-book reading interaction. Maternal utterances were coded according to the categories described by Tessler and Nelson (1994), classifying each mother as Narrative or Paradigmatic. Eight categories of MSL were analyzed: perceptual, emotional (positive and negative), volitional, cognitive, communicative, and moral. The results confirmed the existence of the two maternal styles observed in the earlier studies. Importantly, we found that the mothers of younger children were more narrative than paradigmatic, whereas the opposite pattern occurred for the mothers of older children (they were more paradigmatic than narrative). As concerns MSL, the results indicated that the use of communicative terms was significantly more frequent for narrative than for paradigmatic mothers, and decreased linearly with children's age. Lastly, the mothers of younger children referred their MSL more frequently to the book characters than to themselves or to the child. Taken together, these results support the idea that mothers adapt their narrative styles and MSL input to the growing abilities of their children, therefore contributing to the development of social understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Rollo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Emiddia Longobardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Spataro
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Sulla
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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The biocultural emergence of mindreading: integrating cognitive archaeology and human development. JOURNAL OF CULTURAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s41809-017-0008-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Ebert S, Peterson C, Slaughter V, Weinert S. Links among parents’ mental state language, family socioeconomic status, and preschoolers’ theory of mind development. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Perspectives on Perspective Taking: How Children Think About the Minds of Others. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 52:185-226. [PMID: 28215285 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Perspective taking, or "theory of mind," involves reasoning about the mental states of others (e.g., their intentions, desires, knowledge, beliefs) and is called upon in virtually every aspect of human interaction. Our goals in writing this chapter were to provide an overview of (a) the research questions developmental psychologists ask to shed light on how children think about the inner workings of the mind, and (b) why such research is invaluable in understanding human nature and our ability to interact with, and learn from, one another. We begin with a brief review of early research in this field that culminated in the so-called litmus test for a theory of mind (i.e., false-belief tasks). Next, we describe research with infants and young children that created a puzzle for many researchers, and briefly mention an intriguing approach researchers have used to attempt to "solve" this puzzle. We then turn to research examining children's understanding of a much broader range of mental states (beyond false beliefs). We briefly discuss the value of studying individual differences by highlighting their important implications for social well-being and ways to improve perspective taking. Next, we review work illustrating the value of capitalizing on children's proclivity for selective social learning to reveal their understanding of others' mental states. We close by highlighting one line of research that we believe will be an especially fruitful avenue for future research and serves to emphasize the complex interplay between our perspective-taking abilities and other cognitive processes.
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Schwebel DC, Li P, McClure LA, Severson J. Evaluating a Website to Teach Children Safety with Dogs: A Randomized Controlled Trial. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 13:ijerph13121198. [PMID: 27918466 PMCID: PMC5201339 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13121198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Dog bites represent a significant threat to child health. Theory-driven interventions scalable for broad dissemination are sparse. A website was developed to teach children dog safety via increased knowledge, improved cognitive skills in relevant domains, and increased perception of vulnerability to bites. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 69 children aged 4–5 randomly assigned to use the dog safety website or a control transportation safety website for ~3 weeks. Assessment of dog safety knowledge and behavior plus skill in three relevant cognitive constructs (impulse control, noticing details, and perspective-taking) was conducted both at baseline and following website use. The dog safety website incorporated interactive games, instructional videos including testimonials, a motivational rewards system, and messaging to parents concerning child lessons. Our results showed that about two-thirds of the intervention sample was not adherent to website use at home, so both intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were conducted. Intent-to-treat analyses yielded mostly null results. Per-protocol analyses suggested children compliant to the intervention protocol scored higher on knowledge and recognition of safe behavior with dogs following the intervention compared to the control group. Adherent children also had improved scores post-intervention on the cognitive skill of noticing details compared to the control group. We concluded that young children’s immature cognition can lead to dog bites. Interactive eHealth training on websites shows potential to teach children relevant cognitive and safety skills to reduce risk. Compliance to website use is a challenge, and some relevant cognitive skills (e.g., noticing details) may be more amenable to computer-based training than others (e.g., impulse control).
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Schwebel
- UAB Youth Safety Lab, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Leslie A McClure
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Ornaghi V, Pepe A, Grazzani I. False-Belief Understanding and Language Ability Mediate the Relationship between Emotion Comprehension and Prosocial Orientation in Preschoolers. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1534. [PMID: 27774075 PMCID: PMC5054016 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion comprehension (EC) is known to be a key correlate and predictor of prosociality from early childhood. In the present study, we examined this relationship within the broad theoretical construct of social understanding which includes a number of socio-emotional skills, as well as cognitive and linguistic abilities. Theory of mind, especially false-belief understanding, has been found to be positively correlated with both EC and prosocial orientation. Similarly, language ability is known to play a key role in children's socio-emotional development. The combined contribution of false-belief understanding and language to explaining the relationship between EC and prosociality has yet to be investigated. Thus, in the current study, we conducted an in-depth exploration of how preschoolers' false-belief understanding and language ability each contribute to modeling the relationship between children's comprehension of emotion and their disposition to act prosocially toward others, after controlling for age and gender. Participants were 101 4- to 6-year-old children (54% boys), who were administered measures of language ability, false-belief understanding, EC and prosocial orientation. Multiple mediation analysis of the data suggested that false-belief understanding and language ability jointly and fully mediated the effect of preschoolers' EC on their prosocial orientation. Analysis of covariates revealed that gender exerted no statistically significant effect, while age had a trivial positive effect. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Ornaghi
- Department of Human Sciences and Education, University of Milano-Bicocca Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pepe
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Grazzani
- Department of Human Sciences and Education, University of Milano-Bicocca Milan, Italy
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Bianco F, Lecce S, Banerjee R. Conversations about mental states and theory of mind development during middle childhood: A training study. J Exp Child Psychol 2016; 149:41-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Hofmann SG, Doan SN, Sprung M, Wilson A, Ebesutani C, Andrews LA, Curtiss J, Harris PL. Training children's theory-of-mind: A meta-analysis of controlled studies. Cognition 2016; 150:200-12. [PMID: 26901235 PMCID: PMC4792776 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 12/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Theory-of-mind (ToM) refers to knowledge and awareness of mental states in oneself and others. Various training programs have been developed to improve ToM in children. OBJECTIVES In the present study, we conducted a quantitative review of ToM training programs that have been tested in controlled studies. DATA SOURCES A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. REVIEW METHODS We identified 32 papers with 45 studies or experiments that included 1529 children with an average age of 63 months (SD=28.7). RESULTS ToM training procedures were more effective than control procedures and their aggregate effect size was moderately strong (Hedges' g=0.75, CI=0.60-0.89, p<.001). Moderator analyses revealed that although ToM training programs were generally effective, ToM skill-related outcomes increased with length of training sessions and were significantly higher in active control studies. CONCLUSION ToM training procedures can effectively enhance ToM in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 648 Beacon Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Stacey N Doan
- Department of Psychology, Claremont McKenna College, 850 Columbia Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Manuel Sprung
- Psychosomatisches Zentrum Waldviertel, Grafenberg Straße 2, 3730 Eggenburg, Austria.
| | - Anne Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, 225 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Chad Ebesutani
- Department of Psychology, Duksung Women's University, 33, Samyangro 144-gil, (419 Ssangmun Dong), Dobong Gu, Seoul 132-714, South Korea.
| | - Leigh A Andrews
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 648 Beacon Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Joshua Curtiss
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 648 Beacon Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Paul L Harris
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, 503A Larsen Hall, Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Brockmeier J. Conversation on mental states at nursery: Promoting social cognition in early childhood. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2015.1127803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Taumoepeau M, Ruffman T. Self-awareness moderates the relation between maternal mental state language about desires and children's mental state vocabulary. J Exp Child Psychol 2016; 144:114-29. [PMID: 26723013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In this intervention study, we tested the differential effect of talking about children's desires versus talking about others' thoughts and knowledge on children's acquisition of mental state vocabulary for children who did and did not have mirror self-recognition. In a sample of 96 mother-toddler dyads, each mother was randomly assigned a specially constructed, interactive lift-the-flap book to read to her child three times a week for 4 weeks. In the child desire condition the story elicited comments regarding the child's desires, and in the cognitive condition the story elicited the mother's comments about her own thoughts and knowledge while reading the story. Children's mirror self-recognition and mental state vocabulary were assessed at pre- and post-test. Children in the condition that focused on the child's desires showed a significantly greater increase in their mental state vocabulary; however, this effect was moderated by their levels of self-awareness, with children benefitting more from the intervention if they also showed self-recognition at pre-test. We argue that the combination of specific types of maternal talk and children's prior insights facilitates gains in children's mental state vocabulary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mele Taumoepeau
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| | - Ted Ruffman
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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Bottiroli S, Cavallini E, Ceccato I, Vecchi T, Lecce S. Theory of Mind in aging: Comparing cognitive and affective components in the faux pas test. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2016; 62:152-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Riva Crugnola C. Emotion comprehension and attachment: A conversational intervention with school-aged children. EUROPEAN REVIEW OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY-REVUE EUROPEENNE DE PSYCHOLOGIE APPLIQUEE 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.erap.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Ding XP, Wellman HM, Wang Y, Fu G, Lee K. Theory-of-Mind Training Causes Honest Young Children to Lie. Psychol Sci 2015; 26:1812-21. [PMID: 26431737 PMCID: PMC4636928 DOI: 10.1177/0956797615604628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) has long been recognized to play a major role in children's social functioning. However, no direct evidence confirms the causal linkage between the two. In the current study, we addressed this significant gap by examining whether ToM causes the emergence of lying, an important social skill. We showed that after participating in ToM training to learn about mental-state concepts, 3-year-olds who originally had been unable to lie began to deceive consistently. This training effect lasted for more than a month. In contrast, 3-year-olds who participated in control training to learn about physical concepts were significantly less inclined to lie than the ToM-trained children. These findings provide the first experimental evidence supporting the causal role of ToM in the development of social competence in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Pan Ding
- Hangzhou College of Preschool Education, Zhejiang Normal University Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto
| | | | - Yu Wang
- Hangzhou College of Preschool Education, Zhejiang Normal University
| | - Genyue Fu
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University
| | - Kang Lee
- Hangzhou College of Preschool Education, Zhejiang Normal University Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto
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Longobardi E, Spataro P, Rossi-Arnaud C. Relations between theory of mind, mental state language and social adjustment in primary school children. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2015.1093930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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42
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Mothers’ cognitive state talk during shared book reading and children’s later false belief understanding. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Agliati A, Brazzelli E. How to Foster Toddlers' Mental-State Talk, Emotion Understanding, and Prosocial Behavior: A Conversation-Based Intervention at Nursery School. INFANCY 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/infa.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Grazzani
- Department of Human Sciences ‘R.Massa’; Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
| | - Veronica Ornaghi
- Department of Human Sciences ‘R.Massa’; Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
| | - Alessia Agliati
- Department of Psychology; Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
| | - Elisa Brazzelli
- Department of Psychology; Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
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Sprung M, Münch HM, Harris PL, Ebesutani C, Hofmann SG. Children's emotion understanding: A meta-analysis of training studies. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2015; 37:41-65. [PMID: 26405369 PMCID: PMC4576850 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the course of development, children show increased insight and understanding of emotions-both of their own emotions and those of others. However, little is known about the efficacy of training programs aimed at improving children's understanding of emotion. OBJECTIVES To conduct an effect size analysis of trainings aimed at three aspects of emotion understanding: external aspects (i.e., the recognition of emotional expressions, understanding external causes of emotion, understanding the influence of reminders on present emotions); mental aspects (i.e., understanding desire-based emotions, understanding belief-based emotions, understanding hidden emotions); and reflective aspects (i.e., understanding the regulation of an emotion, understanding mixed emotions, understanding moral emotions). DATA SOURCES A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. REVIEW METHODS The search identified 19 studies or experiments including a total of 749 children with an average age of 86 months (S.D.=30.71) from seven different countries. RESULTS Emotion understanding training procedures are effective for improving external (Hedge's g = 0.62), mental (Hedge's g = 0.31), and reflective (Hedge's g = 0.64) aspects of emotion understanding. These effect sizes were robust and generally unrelated to the number and lengths of training sessions, length of the training period, year of publication, and sample type. However, training setting and social setting moderated the effect of emotion understanding training on the understanding of external aspects of emotion. For the length of training session and social setting, we observed significant moderator effects of training on reflective aspects of emotion. CONCLUSION Emotion understanding training may be a promising tool for both preventive intervention and the psychotherapeutic process. However, more well-controlled studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sprung
- International Psychology & Psychotherapy Center, Vienna (Austria)
| | - Hannah M Münch
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg (Germany)
| | - Paul L Harris
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University (USA)
| | - Chad Ebesutani
- Department of Psychology, Duksung Women's University (South Korea)
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University (USA)
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Abstract
This study examined the efficacy of training theory of mind via storybook interactions focused on characters' mental states (i.e., beliefs and emotions) in a sample of 73 low-income preschoolers, and determined if training transferred to social competence. Children in the experimental group participated in experimenter-led book interactions in which characters' false beliefs and emotions were discussed. Children in the first control group were read the same stories, but without the embedded discussions; children in the second control group were not read books. Children's false belief understanding, emotion understanding, and social competence were assessed at pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest two months later. Children in the experimental group outperformed both controls on false belief understanding, but not emotion understanding or social competence, at both posttests.
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Cavallini E, Bianco F, Bottiroli S, Rosi A, Vecchi T, Lecce S. Training for generalization in Theory of Mind: a study with older adults. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1123. [PMID: 26300818 PMCID: PMC4523701 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute independent mental states to self and others in order to explain and predict social behavior. Recent research in this area has shown a decline in ToM abilities associated with normal aging that is of a moderate magnitude or greater. Very few studies have investigated whether it is possible to improve older adults’ ToM abilities. The present study was designed to address this gap in the literature by evaluating the impact of a ToM training on practiced and transfer tasks. We provided older adults with a variety of activities designed to facilitate the generalization of benefits to other ToM-demanding tasks. Participants were 63 healthy older adults, native Italian speakers (Mage = 71.44, SD = 5.24, age range: 63–81 years). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the ToM training (age range: 63–81 years) and the physical-conversation training (age range: 64–81 years). Training effects were measured using the strange stories (practiced task) and the animation task (transfer task). Results revealed the efficacy of the training in producing improvements on practiced but also on transfer tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cavallini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia , Pavia, Italy
| | - Federica Bianco
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia , Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Bottiroli
- Headache Science Centre, National Neurological Institute C. Mondino , Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessia Rosi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia , Pavia, Italy
| | - Tomaso Vecchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia , Pavia, Italy ; Headache Science Centre, National Neurological Institute C. Mondino , Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia , Pavia, Italy
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Perspective Taking: Training Procedures in Developmentally Typical Preschoolers. Different Intervention Methods and Their Effectiveness. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10648-015-9306-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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48
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Qu L, Shen P, Chee YY, Chen L. Teachers' Theory-of-mind Coaching and Children's Executive Function Predict the Training Effect of Sociodramatic Play on Children's Theory of Mind. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Li Qu
- Nanyang Technological University
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Lecce S, Bottiroli S, Bianco F, Rosi A, Cavallini E. Training older adults on Theory of Mind (ToM): Transfer on metamemory. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2015; 60:217-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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50
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Martins EC, Osório A, Veríssimo M, Martins C. Emotion understanding in preschool children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/0165025414556096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This investigation was aimed at studying the relations between executive functions (EFs) and categorical emotion understanding while controlling for preschoolers’ IQ, language ability and theory of mind (ToM). Specifically, we wanted to analyse the association between emotion understanding and set shifting, due to the lack of studies with this EF. Data of 75 children aged 4½ years (52% boys) was collected in two laboratory visits. Emotion understanding was assessed using the Emotion Recognition Questionnaire, inhibitory control using the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task and set shifting using a version of the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. IQ was evaluated using the WPPSI-R, language using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – Revised; and ToM using six standardized tasks. Set shifting, but not inhibitory control, predicted emotion understanding, over and above mothers’ age, and children’s IQ, language ability, and ToM. Mothers’ age and children’s language ability were also significant predictors in the final regression model. Results suggest that the capacity to shift mental sets is linked with inter-individual differences in children’s understanding of situational causes of emotion. Therefore studying EFs as correlates of emotion understanding is an important focus of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Costa Martins
- Maia University Institute - ISMAI & Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Osório
- Cognitive and Social Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Carla Martins
- School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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