Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
06:07
Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
Published on: May 15, 2019
Belief attribution in deaf and hearing infants
Marek Meristo1, Gary Morgan, Alessandra Geraci
1Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. marek.meristo@psy.gu.se
Developmental Science
|August 29, 2012
Summary
Early theory of mind (ToM) reasoning in infants is influenced by language access. Hearing infants showed better false-belief understanding than deaf infants, suggesting language aids ToM development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Infants demonstrate early 'theory of mind' (ToM) by anticipating actions based on true or false beliefs.
- Preconditions for belief attribution in infants, particularly the role of language, remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of language and conversational input on the development of ToM in infants.
- To compare belief attribution abilities in hearing and deaf infants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized anticipatory looking paradigms in theory of mind (ToM) tasks with 17- to 26-month-old infants.
- Compared performance between hearing infants and deaf infants from hearing families, who experience delayed language input.
Main Results:
- Hearing infants significantly outperformed deaf infants in a false-belief task, accurately predicting a character's search action.
- No significant performance difference was observed between hearing and deaf infants in a true-belief condition.
Conclusions:
- Access to language and conversational input is a critical contributing factor to early theory of mind (ToM) reasoning.
- Findings suggest language acquisition facilitates the development of understanding others' false beliefs.
More Related Videos
14:05Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
07:31Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
Published on: February 8, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:15Theory of Attribution I: Correspondent Inference Theory
Correspondent inference theory, proposed by Jones and Davis in 1965, seeks to explain how individuals infer stable personality traits from observed behaviors. It suggests that people attribute actions to underlying dispositions rather than external circumstances, particularly when the behavior appears intentional and socially significant.Voluntary Behavior and Dispositional AttributionAccording to this theory, individuals are more likely to attribute behavior to personal traits when it appears...
01:29Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory
Attribution theory plays a crucial role in social psychology, helping to explain how individuals interpret the causes of behavior. One prominent model within this field is Harold Kelley's covariation theory, which provides a systematic approach to determining whether internal traits or external circumstances drive a person's actions. The model posits that individuals rely on three key types of information—consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness—to make these judgments.Consensus: Comparing...
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
00:56Attribution Theory
Behavior is a product of both the situation (e.g., cultural influences, social roles, and the presence of bystanders) and of the person (e.g., personality characteristics). Subfields of psychology tend to focus on one influence or behavior over others. Situationism is the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. In contrast, dispositionism holds that our behavior is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958). An internal factor is an...
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...
01:26Attribution
In social interactions, individuals frequently seek to understand the motivations and causes behind others' behaviors. This fundamental aspect of social perception, known as attribution, plays a crucial role in shaping interpersonal relationships and guiding future actions. Attribution refers to the cognitive process through which people infer the reasons behind others' behaviors, allowing them to assess character traits, intentions, and situational influences.Attribution Theory and Its...