Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
06:51
The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
Published on: April 6, 2018
Chinese preschoolers' implicit and explicit false-belief understanding.
Bo Wang1, Jason Low, Zhang Jing
1Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
The British Journal of Developmental Psychology
|March 21, 2012
Summary
Preschoolers
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Theory of Mind
Background:
- False-belief understanding is a key aspect of cognitive development.
- Research has explored the relationship between implicit and explicit measures of false-belief understanding.
- Cultural factors and executive functions may influence the development of false-belief tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dissociations between anticipatory looking (AL) and verbal judgments in Mandarin-speaking preschoolers.
- To examine the impact of a specific "think-falsely" verb and cultural self-control on false-belief understanding.
- To explore the correlation between executive functions and different measures of false-belief understanding.
Main Methods:
- Tested 192 Mandarin-speaking preschoolers (3- to 4-year-olds) on false-belief tasks.
- Utilized anticipatory looking (AL) and direct verbal judgment measures.
- Assessed executive functions using separate measures.
Main Results:
- A robust dissociation was observed between AL and verbal judgments.
- AL remained coherent across various belief-formation scenarios.
- Executive function measures correlated only with direct judgments, not AL.
Conclusions:
- Findings support an implicit-explicit cognitive systems account of false-belief understanding.
- Early self-control and specific linguistic tools did not eliminate the observed dissociation.
- Distinguishes between implicit (looking-based) and explicit (verbal) false-belief understanding in young children.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Understanding Deception
Deception is a pervasive aspect of human communication. Empirical studies have shown that most individuals engage in some form of deceit on a daily basis, with approximately 20% of social exchanges involving deceptive elements. Lying follows a developmental trajectory, peaking during adolescence and declining with age, possibly due to the maturation of cognitive control and social accountability.Cognitive and Social Factors in Deception DetectionDespite its prevalence, accurately detecting...
01:14Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development
The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone, blending...
01:21The Nativist Approach
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
01:18False Memories
False memories represent a cognitive distortion in which individuals recall events that did not happen, or remember them in an altered form. This phenomenon highlights the brain's constructive nature in processing and recalling memories, emphasizing that memory is not a perfect representation of past events but rather a dynamic reconstruction influenced by various factors.
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information with...
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information with...
01:20Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.
01:14Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Exploration...