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Related Experiment Videos

Developmental parallels in understanding minds and bodies.

Alan M Leslie1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. aleslie@ruccs.rutgers.edu

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|August 30, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Fifteen-month-old infants demonstrate false belief attribution, supporting the theory of mind developing early. This challenges previous understandings of infant cognitive development and reasoning abilities.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • The development of "theory of mind" (ToM) in infants is crucial for understanding social cognition.
  • Previous research suggested ToM, including false belief attribution, emerges later in childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether 15-month-old infants can attribute false beliefs to others.
  • To examine the implications of early false belief attribution for the maturation of neurocognitive mechanisms underlying ToM.

Main Methods:

  • The study by Onishi and Baillargeon presented evidence on infant performance in a false belief task.
  • Analysis focused on 15-month-old infants' responses to assess their understanding of others' mental states.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evidence suggests 15-month-old infants can attribute false beliefs.
  • These findings challenge the timeline for the emergence of ToM and related cognitive abilities.

    • Conclusions:

    • Infants may possess rudimentary "theory of mind" capabilities earlier than previously thought.
    • The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of the developmental trajectory of mental state attribution.
    • Parallels exist between infant false belief tasks and reasoning about physical properties.