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Published on: September 19, 2019
Maternal epistemological perspectives and variations in mental state talk
Tiffany L Hutchins1, Lynne A Bond, Elaine R Silliman
1Department of Communication Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. tiffany.hutchins@uvm.edu
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|August 13, 2008
Summary
Maternal epistemological beliefs influence children's talk about the mind. More complex maternal beliefs foster richer mental state conversations, aiding children's theory of mind development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Maternal beliefs about knowledge (epistemologies) shape parent-child interactions.
- Understanding how these beliefs influence children's cognitive development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the complexity of maternal epistemological beliefs and the nature of mental state talk in mothers and their children.
- To determine if maternal epistemologies predict the quantity and quality of talk about the mind.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight mothers and their children (ages 5-10) participated.
- Mothers completed a receptive vocabulary test.
- A storytelling task elicited mental state talk, which was analyzed for mental state term usage and pragmatic functions.
Main Results:
- Higher complexity in maternal epistemological beliefs correlated with increased maternal and child mental state talk.
- Mothers with complex beliefs used mental states to encourage reflection, while those with simpler beliefs used them for interaction direction.
- Children's talk quantity and variety of mental state terms increased with maternal epistemological complexity, independent of maternal vocabulary.
Conclusions:
- Maternal epistemological complexity is a significant predictor of mother-child mental state discourse.
- These findings suggest a pathway through which maternal beliefs may support the development of children's theory of mind.
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