Ch. 8 - Theory of Mind

Explain what theory of mind is.
Enumerate the many domains of social life in which theory of mind is critical. • Describe some characteristics of how autistic individuals differ in their processing of others’ minds.
Describe and explain some of the many concepts and processes that comprise the human understanding of minds.
Have a basic understanding of how ordinary people explain unintentional and intentional behavior.

When being intentional you need more than a goal, but also the right kinds of beliefs about how to achieve the goal.

Recall a situation in which you tried to infer what a person was thinking or feeling but you just couldn’t figure it out, and recall another situation in which you tried the same but succeeded. Which tools were you able to use in the successful case that you didn’t or couldn’t use in the failed case?
Mindfulness training improves keen awareness of one’s own mental states. Look up a few such training programs (easily found online) and develop a similar training program to improve awareness of other people’s minds.
In the near future we will have robots that closely interact with people. Which theory of mind tools should a robot definitely have? Which ones are less important? Why?
Humans assume that everybody has the capacity to make choices and perform intentional actions. But in a sense, a choice is just a series of brain states, caused by previous brain states and states of the world, all governed by the physical laws of the universe. Is the concept of choice an illusion?
The capacity to understand others’ minds is intimately related to another unique human capacity: language. How might these two capacities have evolved? Together? One before the other? Which one?