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Published on: September 11, 2021
Sociocultural input facilitates children's developing understanding of extraordinary minds
Jonathan D Lane1, Henry M Wellman, E Margaret Evans
1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. jonlane@umich.edu
Child Development
|March 1, 2012
Summary
Preschoolers
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Religious Studies
Background:
- Understanding Theory of Mind (ToM) in young children is crucial for social cognition.
- Previous research suggests children may anthropomorphize supernatural agents.
- The role of religious schooling in shaping ToM development requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how religious schooling influences preschoolers' understanding of mental states.
- To examine children's attributions of mental capacities to ordinary humans and divine agents.
- To explore the impact of anthropomorphism on children's conceptualization of God's mind.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-one preschoolers (3-5 years old) from religious schools participated.
- Children completed Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks assessing mental state attribution.
- Tasks involved ordinary humans and agents with exceptional perceptual/mental capacities, including God.
Main Results:
- Children attributing human mental limitations (e.g., ignorance) to God supported anthropomorphism.
- Only 5-year-olds distinguished between human fallibility and God's less fallible mind.
- Religiously schooled 4-year-olds, unlike secular peers, could attribute less fallible mental abilities with guidance.
Conclusions:
- Sociocultural input from religious schooling can facilitate appreciation for extraordinary minds.
- Developmental trajectory of ToM involves understanding limitations and attributing capacities to divine agents.
- Religious education may accelerate the differentiation between human and divine mental states.
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