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Peterson CS, Zhu Y, Germine LT, Dunn EC. Associations Between Childhood Trauma Characteristics and Theory of Mind in Adults: Results From a Large, Diverse Sample. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:719-730. [PMID: 36168019 PMCID: PMC10942752 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01442-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is an essential social cognitive process encompassing abilities to represent and understand others' mental states. Although previous reports linked childhood trauma to social cognitive deficits, how characteristics of trauma exposure, such as subtype or timing, affect ToM remains unaddressed. Using data from a diverse adult sample (n = 2200), we tested whether exposure type and first exposure timing of common childhood trauma associated with ToM. Neither interpersonal loss (β = - 0.25, p = 0.170, [- 0.61, 0.10]) nor child maltreatment (β = - 0.21, p = 0.369, [- 0.66, 0.25]) was associated with lower ToM. There was no effect of timing of age at which trauma was experienced (F = 2.19, p = 0.087). While we did not identify age-dependent effects, future studies should examine links between timing or chronicity of prospectively reported childhood trauma and social cognition. Understanding of how childhood experiences shape ToM could reveal mechanisms underlying social cognition development and inform prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Peterson
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura T Germine
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center On the Developing Child, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Henry and Alison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Sehlstedt I, Hansson I, Hjelmquist E. The longitudinal relations between mental state talk and theory of mind. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:191. [PMID: 38582883 PMCID: PMC10998333 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01692-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous investigations of associations between children's Theory of Mind (ToM) and parents' use of words relating to mental states (or mental state talk; MST) have predominantly been performed using cross-sectional designs and false belief tasks as indicators of ToM. METHODS We here report a longitudinal study of 3-5 year-olds (n = 80) investigating ToM development using the ToM scale and three different parental MST types: the absolute frequency of words, the proportions of words, and the vocabulary size. RESULTS Our results revealed significant relations between all parental MST types and later child ToM. Proportions of parental MST were most often related to the children's ToM at 4 years of age. However, the rate at which the children developed ToM from 3 to 5 years of age was associated with the other two parental MST type measures, namely, absolute frequency and vocabulary size. Additionally, our analyses revealed that parents' use of cognitive MST words (e.g., think, or know) were most frequently associated with children's ToM at 4 years of age compared to emotion and desire-related MST words. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the parental ability to capture the thoughts, beliefs, and knowledge present in different scenarios is associated with children's ability to understand other minds. Moreover, parents' way of talking about the mental states of others is associated with their children's ability to understand and further develop ToM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isac Sehlstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 500, Gothenburg, SE, 405 30, Sweden.
| | - Isabelle Hansson
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 500, Gothenburg, SE, 405 30, Sweden
| | - Erland Hjelmquist
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 500, Gothenburg, SE, 405 30, Sweden
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Akkaya E, Doğan M. Emotion recognition and false belief in deaf or hard-of-hearing preschool children. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2024; 29:134-144. [PMID: 37805825 PMCID: PMC10950420 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enad044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to examine emotion recognition and false belief performances of 4-5-year-old (48-71 months) deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. The performances have been assessed using the Turkish Version of the Theory of Mind Task Battery for Children. The DHH children have been continuing schooling in inclusive settings with an auditory-oral approach. The emotion recognition performances of hearing children (n = 100) and DHH (n = 100) children have appeared to be similar. The ANOVA analysis has revealed that the groups do not differ concerning false belief performances between the ages of 4 and 5.5. However, from the age of 5.5, hearing children have performed better than DHH children. According to correlation analysis, parental education has been determined as a remarkable factor in DHH children's false belief development. The findings point to the need for research across a wide range of ages to better understand the developmental course of false belief in DHH children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emrah Akkaya
- Education of Hearing Impaired, Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Murat Doğan
- Education of Hearing Impaired, Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
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Prein JC, Kalinke S, Haun DBM, Bohn M. TANGO: A reliable, open-source, browser-based task to assess individual differences in gaze understanding in 3 to 5-year-old children and adults. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2469-2485. [PMID: 37429985 PMCID: PMC10991054 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02159-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Traditional measures of social cognition used in developmental research often lack satisfactory psychometric properties and are not designed to capture variation between individuals. Here, we present the TANGO (Task for Assessing iNdividual differences in Gaze understanding-Open); a brief (approx. 5-10min), reliable, open-source task to quantify individual differences in the understanding of gaze cues. Localizing the attentional focus of an agent is crucial in inferring their mental states, building common ground, and thus, supporting cooperation. Our interactive browser-based task works across devices and enables in-person and remote testing. The implemented spatial layout allows for discrete and continuous measures of participants' click imprecision and is easily adaptable to different study requirements. Our task measures inter-individual differences in a child (N = 387) and an adult (N = 236) sample. Our two study versions and data collection modes yield comparable results that show substantial developmental gains: the older children are, the more accurately they locate the target. High internal consistency and test-retest reliability estimates underline that the captured variation is systematic. Associations with social-environmental factors and language skills speak to the validity of the task. This work shows a promising way forward in studying individual differences in social cognition and will help us explore the structure and development of our core social-cognitive processes in greater detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Christin Prein
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Steven Kalinke
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel B M Haun
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manuel Bohn
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
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5
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Devine RT, Grumley Traynor I, Ronchi L, Lecce S. Children in ethnically diverse classrooms and those with cross-ethnic friendships excel at understanding others' minds. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 38429980 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the link between classroom ethnic diversity, cross-ethnic friendships, and children's theory of mind. In total, 730 children in the United Kingdom (54.7% girls, 51.5% White) aged 8 to 13 years completed measures of theory of mind in 2019/2020. Controlling for verbal ability, executive function, peer social preference, and teacher-reported demographic characteristics, greater classroom ethnic diversity provided opportunities for cross-ethnic friendships, and children with cross-ethnic friendships performed better than peers without cross-ethnic friendships on theory of mind. These results extend accounts of intergroup contact by using direct assessments of children's theory of mind and advance social accounts of theory of mind by demonstrating how experiences outside the family are linked with theory of mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory T Devine
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Imogen Grumley Traynor
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Luca Ronchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Wang Z, Shao Y. Picture book reading improves children's learning understanding. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38415288 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Mental state reasoning is an integral part of children's teaching and learning understanding. This study investigated whether a picture book reading approach focusing on mental state discourse and contrasting perspectives in a preschool classroom setting would improve children's teaching and learning understanding and school readiness. In total, 104 children from four classrooms aged between 46 and 64 months (53 girls, M = 54.03 months, SD = 3.68) participated in the study. Half of the classrooms were randomly assigned to an experimental group where teachers read picture books rich in mental state discourse and engaged in intensive discussions with children for eight weeks. Children's false belief understanding and teaching and learning understanding were measured before and after the eight-week period. The result revealed that picture book reading improved children's learning understanding with a medium effect size, controlling for demographic variables, children's verbal ability, inhibition, and initial false belief understanding. The experimental group children further demonstrated more advanced school readiness 18 months after the intervention ended in a follow-up study using a teacher questionnaire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlin Wang
- The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Yihan Shao
- Shanghai SIPO Polytechnic, Shanghai, China
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Malcorps S, Vliegen N, Fonagy P, Luyten P. A four-year multi-wave prospective study on the role of parental reflective functioning and parenting stress in the development of socio-emotional problems in internationally adopted children. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:266-279. [PMID: 36382423 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422001171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Parental reflective functioning (PRF) plays a protective role in the development of children with histories of early adversity, including adopted children. This is the first study to investigate the developmental trajectories of PRF and children's socio-emotional problems in the first 4 years after international adoption (N = 48 families, mean age (T1) = 20.7 months) and to examine the mediating role of parenting stress in the relation between PRF and child socio-emotional problems. Multilevel modeling indicated that age at adoption and parent gender moderated the development of PRF and child socio-emotional problems. Moreover, decreases in PRF were associated with more socio-emotional problems in the children. These relations were mediated by parenting stress, and particularly feelings of incompetence and marital dissatisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Malcorps
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Vliegen
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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8
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Taumoepeau M. The View From a Social Constructivist Framework: Comparing Explicit Conversations About Mental States and Explicit Conversations About Norms. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:65-66. [PMID: 37622632 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231187406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
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9
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Allman M, Kulesz P, Marais L, Sharp C. Impact of the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers on Mentalizing in Orphans and Vulnerable Children in South Africa. JOURNAL OF INFANT, CHILD, AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOTHERAPY : JICAP 2023; 22:386-398. [PMID: 38098641 PMCID: PMC10718512 DOI: 10.1080/15289168.2023.2275230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) is a mentalization-based intervention which aims to enhance caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness. MISC has demonstrated treatment effects on mental health problems of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in South Africa working with Community-Based Organization (CBO) careworkers as the point of intervention. Recent elaboration of mentalization-based theory points to alternate figures in a child's early environment as critical resources for enhancing children's mentalizing capacity. In this study we evaluated the treatment effect of MISC on children's mentalizing capacity at baseline and following 12-months of the intervention, controlling for the effects of age, gender, orphan status, socioeconomic status, quality of the home environment, and mental health difficulties at baseline. MISC and Treatment as Usual (TAU) groups were compared using a mixed model linear regression. Results demonstrated significant effects of MISC, time, and mental health difficulties on mentalizing capacity. To our knowledge, this study is the first mentalization-based caregiver intervention to demonstrate treatment effects on child mentalizing capacity, and MISC is the first mentalization-based caregiver intervention to focus on paraprofessionals as the point of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lochner Marais
- University of the Free State, Centre for Developmental Support
| | - Carla Sharp
- University of Houston, Department of Psychology
- University of the Free State, Centre for Developmental Support
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10
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Hashim N, Fischer NL, Kim EB, Yeung WJJ, Yu R. The influence of socioeconomic status and appearance-reality understanding on pre-schoolers' sharing and generosity. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 41:325-342. [PMID: 37114745 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Prosocial behaviour can be defined as any voluntary action that is performed to benefit another individual. Despite accumulating evidence of the importance of environmental variables (e.g., socioeconomic status; SES), and individual characteristics (e.g., theory of mind - ToM - skills), in influencing prosocial behaviours in young children, it is unknown how these factors relate to the underlying motivations for prosocial behaviours. Accordingly, both extrinsically (sharing) and intrinsically (generosity)-guided prosocial behaviours are measured in this study. We explore the influences of SES and ToM skills on young children's sharing behaviour and generosity, while controlling their age, working memory and language skills. Sixty-six 4- to 6 year olds (Mage = 5.24 years, SD = 0.73) from diverse SES (measured by parental education level) and ethnic backgrounds in Singapore completed tasks assessing the ToM measures of false belief and appearance-reality understanding, working memory, language skills, generosity, and sharing behaviour. The results of hierarchical regression analyses demonstrate that the father's education level and children's appearance-reality understanding were significant predictors of sharing, after controlling for age, working memory, language skills, and the mother's education level. Children's appearance-reality understanding was the sole predictor of children's generosity. Our findings highlight the impact of children's ability to hold different views of reality and their family's education levels on the development of sharing and generosity in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawal Hashim
- Centre for Family and Population Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Nastassja L Fischer
- Centre for Family and Population Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
- Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Elizabeth B Kim
- Centre for Family and Population Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Wei-Jun Jean Yeung
- Centre for Family and Population Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
- Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Centre for Family and Population Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
- Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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Mulvihill A, Armstrong R, Casey C, Redshaw J, Scarinci N, Slaughter V. Early childhood educators' mental state language and children's theory of mind in the preschool setting. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 41:227-245. [PMID: 37042035 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
The study examined the presence and nature of a relationship between 13 early childhood educators' mental state language (MSL) and 77 preschool children's (3- to 5 years) Theory of Mind (ToM). Educator language samples were elicited during two naturalistic group-time contexts, wordless picture book storytelling and an instructional building task. MSL was coded according to a comprehensive scheme that captures facets of MSL content and quality. To account for well-established determinants of ToM, a range of child- and family-level factors were also measured. Results indicated no significant relationship between educator MSL during group level instruction and children's ToM in the preschool setting. Although these findings challenge the assumption that educators' MSL is important for children's ToM development, important future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling Mulvihill
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rebecca Armstrong
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Charlotte Casey
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jonathan Redshaw
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nerina Scarinci
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Virginia Slaughter
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Clutterbuck RA, Callan MJ, Shah P. Socio-demographic and political predictors of Theory of Mind in adulthood. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284960. [PMID: 37224101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in Theory of Mind (ToM)-the ability to understand the mental states of others-are theorised to be predicted by socio-demographic and political factors. However, inconsistent findings on the relationships between various socio-demographic predictors and ToM, as well as a paucity of research on political predictors of ToM, have left a gap in the literature. Using a recently validated self-report measure of ToM in a large sample (N = 4202) we investigated the unique contributions of age, sex, socio-economic status, and political beliefs to ToM in adults. Except for age, all variables were correlated with ToM, but when accounting for the variance of other predictors in statistical analyses, political beliefs was no longer associated with ToM. Dominance analysis revealed that participant sex was the most important predictor of ToM. These findings help to address theoretical discrepancies in the existing literature and inform future methods and directions in social cognition research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Punit Shah
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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13
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Kisa EB, Sahin-Acar B, Ilgaz H. Maternal storytelling and reminiscing styles in relation to preschoolers’ perspective-taking abilities. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2023.101323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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14
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Kara B, Selcuk B. The Role of Socioeconomic Adversity and Armed Conflict in Executive Function, Theory of Mind and Empathy in Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023; 54:533-545. [PMID: 34664125 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01270-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates the role of socioeconomic adversity and armed conflict in executive function (EF), theory of mind (ToM) and empathy in a rarely studied group, children living in eastern Turkey. The data were collected from 115 children (60 girls) aged 39 to 95 months (M = 68.22, SD = 14.62). Results revealed that children's performance was low in the EF and ToM tasks, and high in the empathy task. In path analysis, controlling for age, armed conflict experience predicted lower EF (β = - 0.15) and higher empathy (β = 0.21), and socioeconomic adversity predicted lower ToM (β = 0.20). These findings contribute to our knowledge on cognitive and emotional development of children who live in such disadvantaged contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buket Kara
- Centre of Resilience for Social Justice, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK. .,Centre of Resilience for Social Justice, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, BN1 9PH, UK.
| | - Bilge Selcuk
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
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15
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Pluta A, Krysztofiak M, Zgoda M, Wysocka J, Golec K, Gajos K, Dołyk T, Wolak T, Haman M. Theory of Mind and Parental Mental-State Talk in Children with CIs. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2023:enad004. [PMID: 36951492 PMCID: PMC10376925 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enad004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that parents may support the development of theory of mind (ToM) in their child by talking about mental states (mental state talk; MST). However, MST has not been sufficiently explored in deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs). This study investigated ToM and availability of parental MST in deaf children with CIs (n = 39, Mage = 62.92, SD = 15.23) in comparison with their peers with typical hearing (TH; n = 52, Mage = 52.48, SD = 1.07). MST was measured during shared storybook reading. Parents' narratives were coded for cognitive, emotional, literal, and non-mental references. ToM was measured with a parental questionnaire. Children with CIs had lower ToM scores than their peers with TH, and their parents used more literal references during shared storybook reading. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of cognitive and emotional references between groups. Parental emotional references contributed positively to children's ToM scores when controlling for the child's age and receptive grammar only in the CI group. These results indicated some distinctive features in parents of deaf children with CIs' MST and highlighted the role of MST in the development of ToM abilities in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Pluta
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Małgorzata Zgoda
- World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Golec
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Tadeusz Dołyk
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wolak
- Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Haman
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Hughes C, Ronchi L, Foley S, Dempsey C, Lecce S. Siblings in lockdown: International evidence for birth order effects on child adjustment in the Covid19 pandemic. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hughes
- Centre for Family Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Luca Ronchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Sarah Foley
- Moray House School of Education and Sport University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Caoimhe Dempsey
- Centre for Family Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
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Zhu T, Zhang L, Wang P, Xiang M, Wu X. The influence of in-groups and out-groups on the theory-of-mind processing: evidence from different ethnic college students. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2023; 8:5. [PMID: 36690778 PMCID: PMC9871151 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00461-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
According to previous studies of theory of mind (ToM), social environment and cultural background affect individuals' cognitive ability to understand other people's minds. There are cross-group differences in ToM. The present study aimed to examine whether social environment and culture affect the ToM in Uygur and Han groups and whether the individual's cognitive ToM and affective ToM show in-group advantages. Han and Uygur college students were recruited as participants. The "self/other differentiation task" was used to measure cognitive ToM (Study 1), and the "Yoni task" was used to measure both cognitive and affective ToM (Study 2). We found that Han participants processed the cognitive and affective states of others faster and more accurately than Uygur ones. Uygur and Han participants processed in-group members' cognitive and affective states faster and more accurately. Furthermore, Uygur participants were more accurate in the cognitive ToM processing of in-group members, while Han participants were faster in the affective ToM processing of in-group members. The findings indicated that ethnic culture and group identify might influence ToM processing. Strengthening exchanges between ethnic groups may enable individuals to better process out-group members' psychological states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingyu Zhu
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, Chang'an South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Lijin Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, Chang'an South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi Province, China.
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China.
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, China.
| | - Ping Wang
- School of Educational Science, Liupanshui Normal University, Liupanshui, China
| | - Meiqiu Xiang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, Chang'an South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xiujuan Wu
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, Chang'an South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi Province, China
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18
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Kong Q, Mulvihill A, Slaughter V, Fraser H, Cavanagh-Welch B, Elwina FC, Kang J, Ruffman T. Not just quantity but also quality of language: Cross-cultural comparisons of maternal mental state talk in New Zealand, Australia, and China. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282480. [PMID: 36928220 PMCID: PMC10019639 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Western mothers use more mental state talk with children than do Chinese mothers (e.g., "think", "like", "happy"). The present study aimed to examine whether Western mothers not only produced a greater amount of mental state talk, but also used a wider range of mental state terms (i.e., greater lexical variety) compared to Chinese mothers. We compared maternal mental state talk in 271 mother-child dyads from New Zealand, Australia and China, and coded both quantity (i.e., frequency) and quality (i.e., type, variety, valence) of mothers' mental state talk to their 2.5- to 5-year-olds. Western mothers produced more talk about cognitions and emotions, as well as modulations of assertions, but a similar amount of desire talk, compared to Chinese mothers, with the same patterns found in the variety of talk. Western mothers produced an overall higher amount of mental state talk and a greater variety of mental state terms, but crucially, still produced more MS talk after controlling for the variety. Neither the amount nor the variety of maternal MS talk was correlated with children's theory of mind. These findings shed light on the diverse ways that mothers construe and describe mental states in different cultures, and highlight the importance of examining different aspects of maternal mental state talk and their impact on children's theory of mind in future longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyi Kong
- Department of Psychology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- * E-mail: (QK); (TR)
| | - Aisling Mulvihill
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Harry Fraser
- Department of Psychology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Jie Kang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ted Ruffman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- * E-mail: (QK); (TR)
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19
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Selcuk B, Gonultas S, Ekerim‐Akbulut M. Development and use of theory of mind in social and cultural context. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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20
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Hou XH, Liu Y, Li Y, Wang LY. Sequence of theory of mind acquisition in ethnic minority children in China: A comparison of Zhuang and Han samples. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03945-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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21
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Linking early maternal input during shared reading to later theory of mind through receptive language and executive function: A within- and between-family design. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 223:105469. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Foley S, Hughes C, Fink E. Expectant mothers' not fathers' mind-mindedness predicts infant, mother, and father conversational turns at 7 months. INFANCY 2022; 27:1091-1103. [PMID: 36018562 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parental mind-mindedness (MM), defined as the propensity to view one's child as an agent with thoughts, feelings, and desires, is associated with positive child outcomes (McMahon & Bernier, 2017) and can be assessed in expectant parents by using five-minute speech samples (Magaña et al., 1986). Individual differences in MM appear stable across the transition to parenthood (Foley et al., in press), offering an exciting intervention opportunity, as expectant mothers' thoughts and feelings about their unborn infants are associated with the quality of mother-infant interactions. To assess prenatal MM as a predictor of parent-infant conversation at 7 months, we followed 93 low-risk British heterosexual couples across the transition to parenthood. Mothers' and fathers' MM was measured both in the third trimester of pregnancy and at 4 months. Wearable LENA devices were used to gather detailed measures of mother-, father-, and infant-initiated conversations at 7 months. Prenatal MM in both parents was associated with more frequent infant-initiated conversations at 7 months, while prenatal maternal (not paternal) MM was also associated with more mother- and father-initiated conversations. While longitudinal research with more diverse samples is needed, these findings highlight the importance of parental mentalizing in the prenatal period for early family interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Foley
- Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Hughes
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elian Fink
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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23
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Mentalisation Based Treatment and Psychoanalysis. GRUPPENPSYCHOTHERAPIE UND GRUPPENDYNAMIK 2022. [DOI: 10.13109/grup.2022.58.3.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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24
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Smogorzewska J, Szumski G, Bosacki S, Grygiel P. Just listen to your mind: Consequences of theory of mind development for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 127:104261. [PMID: 35623207 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research reveals relations between theory of mind (ToM) and cognitive outcomes, but mostly among typically developing children. AIM To study these relations in children with developmental difficulties, this longitudinal study investigated the cognitive consequences of ToM in deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. METHODS AND PROCEDURES One hundred and thirty-four (X = 9.2 years) participants were assessed in three waves, i.e., one wave every ten months. The participants completed the ToM scale, language and literacy skills (LLS) tests, the academic self-concept in language (ASC-L) questionnaire, and the sensitivity to criticism measure. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS The results revealed that high levels of children's ToM ability predicted higher levels of LLS 20 months later. Mediators of this association were sensitivity to criticism and ASC-L. Controlling for LLS at T1, ASC-L at T2 mediated the relations between ToM and LLS at T3. Moreover, sensitivity to criticism predicted ASC-L, and sensitivity to criticism and ASC-L mediated the relation between ToM and LLS at T3. That is, children who were sensitive to criticism and held positive views of their academic self were also better skilled in ToM and in LLS. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results can help improve the education of DHH students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Smogorzewska
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education, Mokotowska 16/20, 00-561 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Grzegorz Szumski
- University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education, Mokotowska 16/20, 00-561 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Sandra Bosacki
- Brock University, Faculty of Education, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
| | - Paweł Grygiel
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Philosophy, Golebia 24, 31-007 Cracow, Poland.
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25
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Białek A, Zubek J, Jackiewicz-Kawka M, Adamik K, Białecka-Pikul M. Coordinating movements and beliefs: Different facets of doing things together. Child Dev 2022; 93:1860-1872. [PMID: 35913260 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates the relations between two forms of joint action (JA)-movement coordination (MC) and goal attainment-and theory of mind (ToM), contrasting the interactionist and traditional cognitivist views. A custom task was carried out to measure the properties of the JAs between children and their parents, while classical tasks were performed to measure first- and second-order ToM. Thereafter, cross-recurrence quantification analysis was applied to quantify participants' movements. The children were from Poland and were aged 42, 66, and 78 months (N = 297, 133 girls, White, from a large city). The results suggested that the characteristics of dyad MC influence goal attainment and are related to children's first-order ToM (R2 = .447) but not to their second-order ToM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz Białek
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Julian Zubek
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
| | | | - Klaudia Adamik
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marta Białecka-Pikul
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.,Institute of Psychology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
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26
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Wang Z, Gao X. Patience Is a Virtue: Theory of Mind Longitudinally Predicts Children's Delay during School Transition. Dev Neuropsychol 2022; 47:233-246. [PMID: 35786101 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2022.2094382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Four- to seven-year-old children participated in a battery of tasks assessing their theory of mind, conflict inhibition, and delay at time 1, and theory of mind and delay one year later at time 2. Cross-lagged analysis revealed that earlier theory of mind predicted later delay after controlling for earlier conflict inhibition and theory of mind, child age, and family socioeconomic status. The findings highlighted the dynamic nature of the association between theory of mind and delay during the school transition years in its strength and direction, and the increasing specificity in the structure of executive function with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlin Wang
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaozi Gao
- Centre for Educational and Developmental Sciences, the Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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27
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Lo RF, Mar RA. Having siblings is associated with better mentalizing abilities in adults. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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28
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Parental mental state talk in two contexts: Parents’ cognitive sentential complements are positively associated with children’s theory of mind. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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29
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"I know what's inside because you showed me": Training 33-month-old children to attribute knowledge and ignorance to themselves and others. Infant Behav Dev 2022; 68:101744. [PMID: 35760034 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the role of language in two-year-old children's early understanding of knowledge and ignorance. An intense microgenetic training consisting of 12 to 14 training sessions within six to seven weeks was conducted between 33 and 36 months. One training group experienced and participated in discourse about epistemic states in theoretically relevant situations which highlighted, for instance, the relation between seeing and knowing or contrasts between different people's knowledge states. The other training group was trained on complement syntax using sentence repetition tasks. An age-matched control group received no training. The complement syntax training was not effective in improving complement syntax competence more than in the other two groups. In contrast, the mental state training led to higher improvements in the mental state training group than in the other two groups on tasks assessing comprehension of the targeted concepts (e.g., comprehension of the seeing-knowing relation). The mental state training also had an effect on children's metacognitive awareness of their own ignorance which was, however, not independent of complement syntax competence assessed at 33 months. No effect was obtained on epistemic perspective-taking skills. Our findings indicate that the use of mental state language in discourse promotes children's acquisition of epistemic concepts even before their third birthday.
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30
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Taumoepeau M, Kata 'UF, Veikune 'AH, Lotulelei S, Vea PT, Fonua 'I. Could, would, should: Theory of mind and deontic reasoning in Tongan children. Child Dev 2022; 93:1511-1526. [PMID: 35616232 PMCID: PMC9545884 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the developmental profiles of children's social reasoning about individual agentive and deontic concerns. Tongan children (N = 140, 47.9% male), aged 4–8 years, were given a set of mentalistic (standard theory‐of‐mind) and deontic reasoning tasks. On average, children found diverse desires, knowledge access, hidden emotion, and belief emotion easier than the false‐belief and diverse belief tasks. Tongan children were sensitive to social norms governing behavior, and this information was recruited for predicting behavior in a false‐belief task when embedded in a socially normative context. We discuss the potential for cultural mandates to shape children's social understanding and the impact of culture on our theoretical framing of children's development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mele Taumoepeau
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - 'Ana Heti Veikune
- School of Language, Arts and Media, University of the South Pacific, Tonga Campus, Tonga
| | - Susana Lotulelei
- School of Teaching Studies, Tupou Tertiary Institute, Nuku'alofa, Tonga
| | - Peseti Tupou'ila Vea
- School of Language, Arts and Media, University of the South Pacific, Tonga Campus, Tonga
| | - 'Ilaisaane Fonua
- School of Teaching Studies, Tupou Tertiary Institute, Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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31
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Exploring the impact of parental education, ethnicity and context on parent and child mental-state language. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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32
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Relations between the home literacy environment and young children’s theory of mind. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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33
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McCormick SA, Deater-Deckard K, Hughes C. Household clutter and crowding constrain associations between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 40:271-286. [PMID: 35175643 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions between parents and children are important for developing theory of mind, but these may be disrupted by aspects of the proximal home environment. The current study observed maternal sensitivity and its associations with child theory of mind and the housing environment (index by clutter and crowding) in a sample of mothers and their 3.5-year-old twins (N = 250 children). Maternal sensitivity and housing environment were measured from experimenter report and child theory of mind was measured through behavioural tasks. Results show that the association between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind was moderated by the housing environment, where the positive associations between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind were only observed at lower levels of clutter and crowding in the housing environment. Additional contextual variables and processes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Claire Hughes
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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34
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Hou XH, Wang LJ, Li M, Qin QZ, Li Y, Chen BB. The roles of sibling status and sibling relationship quality on theory of mind among Chinese preschool children. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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35
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Pineda‐Alhucema W, Jiménez‐Figueroa G. Some considerations for social cognition assessment in children. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wilmar Pineda‐Alhucema
- Departamento de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas Universidad Simón Bolívar Barranquilla Colombia
- Unidad de Investigación Docencia‐Servicio Centro Médico Cognitivo e Investigación Barranquilla Colombia
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36
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Fujita N, Devine RT, Hughes C. Theory of mind and executive function in early childhood: A cross-cultural investigation. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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37
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Zhang Z, Yu H, Long M, Li H. Worse Theory of Mind in Only-Children Compared to Children With Siblings and Its Intervention. Front Psychol 2021; 12:754168. [PMID: 34899495 PMCID: PMC8655311 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.754168] [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: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore theory of mind (ToM) differences in children with different birth orders (only-children, first-born children, and second-born children), and further explore the effect of cognitive verb training for only-children's ToM. Adopting the paradigm of false belief, Study 1 was conducted in which a sample of 120 children aged 3-6, including first-born children, second-born children (siblings aged 1-13 years), and only-children were tested. The results showed that (1) children aged 3-6 had significantly higher scores on first-order false-belief than second-order false-belief. (2) Controlling for age, the only-children scored significantly lower than the first-born children. In Study 2, 28 only-children aged 4-5 (13 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group) who initially failed in false-belief tasks were trained with the cognitive verb animations. Significant post-training improvements were observed for only-children who received training of animations embedded with cognitive verb. Those findings indicated that ToM of only-children was significantly worse than first-born children of two-child families, and linguistic training could facilitate ToM of only-children whose ToM were at a disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Zhang
- School of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoxue Yu
- School of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Muyun Long
- School of Education, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Li
- School of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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38
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Gonzales CR, Merculief A, McClelland MM, Ghetti S. The development of uncertainty monitoring during kindergarten: Change and longitudinal relations with executive function and vocabulary in children from low-income backgrounds. Child Dev 2021; 93:524-539. [PMID: 34889459 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Children's ability to monitor subjective feelings of uncertainty (i.e., engage in uncertainty monitoring) is a central metacognitive skill. In the current study, we examined the development of uncertainty monitoring as well as its relations with vocabulary and executive function development in children (N = 137, 52% female) from predominately White and Latinx/Hispanic backgrounds when they were 4-6 years old and enrolled in a Head Start preschool and kindergarten between 2018 and 2019. We found that children's uncertainty monitoring improved during the kindergarten year. Children's executive function and vocabulary in preschool and vocabulary growth from preschool to kindergarten predicted uncertainty monitoring at the end of kindergarten, which sheds new light on potential mechanisms supporting children's metacognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexis Merculief
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Megan M McClelland
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Simona Ghetti
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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39
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Białecka-Pikul M, Stępień-Nycz M, Szpak M, Grygiel P, Bosacki S, Devine RT, Hughes C. Theory of Mind and Peer Attachment in Adolescence. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:1202-1217. [PMID: 34309104 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of research on theory of mind (ToM) highlights its significance for childhood social outcomes. Extending the developmental scope of this work, the current study investigated links between advanced ToM abilities and peer attachment in adolescence. Polish adolescents (16 to 18 years old; N = 302; 57.6% girls) completed two advanced ToM measures and reported on their peer attachment. With the effects of age and language controlled, girls scored higher than boys for both advanced ToM and peer attachment. However, the association between these measures was only significant in boys. These results are discussed in terms of theory and research on gender-specific approaches to social cognitive development in adolescence.
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40
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Dowdall N, Murray L, Skeen S, Marlow M, De Pascalis L, Gardner F, Tomlinson M, Cooper PJ. Book-Sharing for Parenting and Child Development in South Africa: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Child Dev 2021; 92:2252-2267. [PMID: 34716710 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the impact of a parenting intervention on children's cognitive and socioemotional development in a group of caregivers and their 21-to-28-month-old children in a low-income South African township. A randomized controlled trial compared an experimental group (n = 70) receiving training in dialogic book-sharing (8 weekly group sessions) with a wait-list control group (n = 70). They were assessed before the intervention, immediately following it, and at a six month follow-up. The intervention had positive effects on child language and attention, but not behavior problems, prosocial behavior, or theory of mind. Intervention caregivers were less verbally and psychologically harsh, showed more sensitivity and reciprocity and more complex cognitive talk. This program benefitted parenting and child development and holds promise for low-income contexts.
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41
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Lecce S, Devine RT. Theory of mind at school: Academic outcomes and the influence of the school context. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Rory T. Devine
- School of Psychology University of Birmingham Birmingham UK
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Pluta A, Krysztofiak M, Zgoda M, Wysocka J, Golec K, Wójcik J, Włodarczyk E, Haman M. False Belief Understanding in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2021; 26:511-521. [PMID: 34179946 PMCID: PMC8448438 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is crucial for social interactions. Previous research has indicated that deaf and hard-of-hearing children born into hearing families (DoH) are at risk of delayed ToM development. However, it is unclear whether this is the case for DoH children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) before and around the second year of life. The present study aimed to investigate false belief understanding (FBU) in DoH children with CIs. The relationships between false belief task (FBT) performance, sentence comprehension, age at implantation, duration of CI use, and Speech Recognition Threshold were explored. A total of 94 children with typical levels of hearing (TH) and 45 DoH children (age range: 3-8), who received their first CI between 6 and 27 months of age, were tested on the FBT and a sentence comprehension test. Results showed that 4- and 5-year-old children with CIs performed significantly worse than their peers with TH on the FBT; 6- to 8-year-old children with CIs performed similarly to age-matched children with TH. Age at implantation and duration of CI use were correlated with sentence comprehension but not with the FBT. The results indicated that FBU was delayed until the age of 6 years in most of children with CIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Pluta
- Correspondence should be addressed to Agnieszka Pluta, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland. E-mail:
| | | | - Małgorzata Zgoda
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Golec
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Wójcik
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Włodarczyk
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, World Hearing Center, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Haman
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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How children’s social tendencies can shape their theory of mind development: Access and attention to social information. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.100977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Lecce S, Ronchi L, Devine RT. Mind what teacher says: Teachers’ propensity for mental‐state language and children's theory of mind in middle childhood. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Science University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Luca Ronchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Science University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Rory T. Devine
- School of Psychology University of Birmingham Birmingham UK
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45
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Tompkins V, Montgomery DE, Blosser MK. Mother‐child talk about mental states: The what, who, and how of conversations about the mind. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12551] [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)
- Virginia Tompkins
- Department of Psychology The Ohio State University at Lima Lima Ohio USA
| | | | - Michael K. Blosser
- Department of Psychology The Ohio State University at Lima Lima Ohio USA
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46
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Mirski R, Bickhard MH. Conventional minds: An interactivist perspective on social cognition and its enculturation. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2021.100856] [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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47
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McCormick SA, Chary M, Deater‐Deckard K. Associations between child theory of mind, mutuality in father‐preschooler dyads, and household chaos. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. McCormick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts USA
| | - Mamatha Chary
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts USA
| | - Kirby Deater‐Deckard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts USA
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48
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Devine RT, Apperly IA. Willing and able? Theory of mind, social motivation, and social competence in middle childhood and early adolescence. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13137. [PMID: 34235829 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the links between theory of mind, social motivation, and children's social competence in middle childhood and early adolescence. Two hundred and sixty four children (136 girls, 128 boys) aged between 8 and 13 years (M Age = 10.88 years, SD = 1.45) completed theory-of-mind tests and self-report questionnaires measuring social motivation. Teachers rated children's social competence at school. Teacher-rated social competence was associated with individual differences in both theory of mind and children's motivation to develop and maintain social relationships. Results suggest that while individual differences in social motivation and theory of mind are partially overlapping, both theory of mind ability and social motivation contribute to successful social interaction at school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory T Devine
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ian A Apperly
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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49
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de Veld DMJ, Scheeren AM, Howlin P, Hoddenbach E, Mulder F, Wolf I, Begeer S. Sibling Configuration as a Moderator of the Effectiveness of a Theory of Mind Training in Children with Autism: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:1719-1728. [PMID: 32808151 PMCID: PMC8084814 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04649-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This RCT investigated whether participants’ sibling configuration moderated the effect of a Theory of Mind (ToM) intervention for children with autism. Children with autism aged 8–13 years (n = 141) were randomized over a waitlist control or treatment condition. Both having more siblings, as well as having an older sibling were related to better outcomes on measures of ToM-related behavior and social cognition, but not ToM knowledge or autistic features in general. The finding that these associations were limited to practical skills addressed in the intervention, seems to indicate that having more siblings and having an older sibling provides enhanced opportunities for children with autism to practice taught skills in the home environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M J de Veld
- Netherlands Youth Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Section Clinical Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anke M Scheeren
- Section Clinical Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia Howlin
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College, London, UK.,Faculty of Health Sciences & Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Fleur Mulder
- Section Clinical Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,De Bascule, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Imke Wolf
- Section Clinical Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,De Bascule, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Begeer
- Section Clinical Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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50
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Aldrich NJ, Chen J, Alfieri L. Evaluating associations between parental mind-mindedness and children’s developmental capacities through meta-analysis. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.100946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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