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Children's developing theory of mind

L C Mayes¹, D J Cohen

¹Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association

|January 1, 1996

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Children develop an understanding of others' minds through early interactions, crucial for self-reflection and therapeutic progress. This involves recognizing mental states behind actions and language.

Area of Science:

Child Psychology
Psychoanalytic Developmental Theory

Background:

Developmental research highlights neuropsychological prerequisites for children's theory of mind.
Psychoanalytic observations emphasize early parent-child interactions in shaping this understanding.

Observation:

Children's understanding of mind develops gradually, most observable between ages 4–6.
This development is linked to internalization and the creation of psychic reality.

Findings:

Children need to grasp how mental states drive actions and language before self-reflection.
Developing a theory of mind integrates self-other differentiation and internalized representations.

Implications:

Informs psychoanalytic work with children regarding therapeutic interventions.

Related Experiment Videos

Highlights the link between understanding others' minds and the capacity for self-reflection.