Theory of Mind

Communication is Information Exchange and a Prerequisite for Communication

• A core function of communication is information exchange

• Information exchange is necessary because we all have different beliefs about the world and we communicate to change the belief systems of others

• Theory of Mind: The ability to grasp the nature of mental states such as beliefs, knowledge, and intentions, and to recognize that people may have different mental states under different conditions.

When do we develop Theory of Mind?

• False-belief test: A test intended to probe for the ability to recognize that the mental state of another person can be different from one's own

• Sally Anne Task

  • 52-month-old (4 years and 4 months) succeeding in the task

  • 42-month-old (3 years and 6 months) failing the task

• Theory of Mind develops in preschool age

Do adults have a perfect Theory of Mind?

• Prediction: If adults directly reason about other people's beliefs while communicating, listeners should just ignore the critical distractor

•  Hypothesis: Participants should be more likely to attempt to move the distractor object in the critical as opposed to the baseline condition

• Findings: Percentage of participants who attempted to move the hidden object

• Theory of Mind is an imperfect skill

Broader Scientific Insights from Theory of Mind

• People with autism usually lack Theory of Mind reasoning

• Reasoning about beliefs isn't exclusively human