Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2026

Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
The development of a theory of mind in autism: deviance and delay?
1Department of Psychology, University of London, England.
Abstract:
Subjects with autism show severe impairments in the ability to attribute beliefs to themselves and others, i.e., in their "theory of mind." An experimental investigation of the relative comprehension difficulty posed in representing different mental states is reported in this chapter, revealing that certain mental states are easier to recall than others, for all subjects. For example, see and want are easier than believe. But whereas for normal children imagine and pretend are as easy as see and want, for people with autism they are significantly more difficult. Gopnik and Slaughter's three-stage model of normal development of a theory of mind is replicated in the present experiment and found to fit the pattern of results for people with mental handicap but not the data from autism. Instead, the data from autism seem to fit a hypothesis of both deviance and delay in the development of a theory of mind.
More Related Videos
10:11Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking (IPL): Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism
Published on: December 14, 2012
05:32Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
Published on: December 7, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood
Schemata: Building Blocks of Knowledge
Schemata...
Piaget's Stage 4 of Cognitive Development
Abstract Reasoning and Hypothetical-Deductive Thinking
Unlike the concrete operational...
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.