Liane Young

This is a little bit controversial in the field, but I think what is generally recognized in the field is that at least children's capacity for explicit theory of mind, being able to reason and verbalize answers to theory of mind tasks, that ability emerges between the ages of three and five years. Psychologists are able to administer

This is a little bit controversial in the field, but I think what is generally recognized in the field is that at least children's capacity for explicit theory of mind, being able to reason and verbalize answers to theory of mind tasks, that ability emerges between the ages of three and five years. Psychologists are able to administer

batteries of theory of mind tasks to young children to figure out when exactly it is that individual children are able to think about other agents in the world as having minds that are maybe separate from the reality of a situation.

batteries of theory of mind tasks to young children to figure out when exactly it is that individual children are able to think about other agents in the world as having minds that are maybe separate from the reality of a situation.

batteries of theory of mind tasks to young children to figure out when exactly it is that individual children are able to think about other agents in the world as having minds that are maybe separate from the reality of a situation.

So one example of a false belief task would be the Sally-Anne task in which you have two puppets, Sally and Anne. Sally is playing with a ball and then she takes the ball and puts it away in a basket. She leaves the room and another puppet comes in and moves the ball to a different location. And then children are asked when Sally comes back into the room, where does she think her ball is?

So one example of a false belief task would be the Sally-Anne task in which you have two puppets, Sally and Anne. Sally is playing with a ball and then she takes the ball and puts it away in a basket. She leaves the room and another puppet comes in and moves the ball to a different location. And then children are asked when Sally comes back into the room, where does she think her ball is?

So one example of a false belief task would be the Sally-Anne task in which you have two puppets, Sally and Anne. Sally is playing with a ball and then she takes the ball and puts it away in a basket. She leaves the room and another puppet comes in and moves the ball to a different location. And then children are asked when Sally comes back into the room, where does she think her ball is?

Did Sally see Anne move the block?

Did Sally see Anne move the block?

Did Sally see Anne move the block?

And three-year-old children will tend to say that she thinks the ball is where it really is, even though she's not supposed to know that Anne came in and moved her ball, whereas older children, by the time children are five, they know that Sally has a false belief about where that ball is.

And three-year-old children will tend to say that she thinks the ball is where it really is, even though she's not supposed to know that Anne came in and moved her ball, whereas older children, by the time children are five, they know that Sally has a false belief about where that ball is.

And three-year-old children will tend to say that she thinks the ball is where it really is, even though she's not supposed to know that Anne came in and moved her ball, whereas older children, by the time children are five, they know that Sally has a false belief about where that ball is.

Yes, that's exactly right. So younger children, three-year-old children don't have a concept that people could have beliefs in their heads that depart from the reality of the world, the facts of the situation.

Yes, that's exactly right. So younger children, three-year-old children don't have a concept that people could have beliefs in their heads that depart from the reality of the world, the facts of the situation.

Yes, that's exactly right. So younger children, three-year-old children don't have a concept that people could have beliefs in their heads that depart from the reality of the world, the facts of the situation.

Yeah, this is in a uniform capacity that we see the same in all people across all situations. It can be dependent on the individual. It can be dependent on the context, even in healthy, typical populations. We've also looked at specific patient populations as well, including patients with specific brain damage.

Yeah, this is in a uniform capacity that we see the same in all people across all situations. It can be dependent on the individual. It can be dependent on the context, even in healthy, typical populations. We've also looked at specific patient populations as well, including patients with specific brain damage.

Yeah, this is in a uniform capacity that we see the same in all people across all situations. It can be dependent on the individual. It can be dependent on the context, even in healthy, typical populations. We've also looked at specific patient populations as well, including patients with specific brain damage.