Explaining age-related decline in theory of mind: Evidence for intact competence but compromised executive function

Isu Cho,Stephen D Ginsberg,Adam S. Cohen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0222890

Abstract

Previous studies suggest theory of mind (ToM) ability declines with age. However, prior tasks not only required ToM competence but also imposed high executive function (EF) demands, so decline in ToM ability could be caused by deterioration in ToM competence, EF, or both. It was predicted that if the elderly have intact ToM competence but compromised EF, then they should perform similarly to younger adults when using ToM tasks that lower executive demands, such as spontaneous-response tasks. Results showed that on tasks with reduced demands, older adults tracked belief to the same extent as younger adults, despite their declining EF. The findings support a model in which age-related decline in ToM ability is primarily caused by compromised EF, not ToM competence, suggesting that underlying ToM mechanisms are still intact in the elderly. We discuss implications of this work for competence-performance issues in ToM processing and the underlying sources of age-related deterioration of ToM.

Highlights

The ability to imagine what other people are thinking, including thoughts that differ from one’s own, is known as theory of mind (ToM)
Does it come from the decline of ToM-specific competence, executive function (EF), or both? Here we explore the underlying causes of age-related decline in ToM ability
The current study examined whether older adults, known to show age-related decline in ToM ability when given tasks that impose high performance demands [4,5,6,7,8], would track belief when using a spontaneous-response task that reduced non-ToM processing

Summary

Introduction

The ability to imagine what other people are thinking, including thoughts that differ from one’s own, is known as theory of mind (ToM). Converging evidence suggests ToM ability declines with age [1]. Given that ToM ability depends on at least ToM-specific processes (including inferring mental states from observed behavior; binding agent representations, propositional attitudes, and propositional content; and decoupling mental state representations from primary representations, among other processes) and executive function (EF), it is unclear what leads to the age-related deterioration of ToM ability. Does it come from the decline of ToM-specific competence, EF, or both?

Methods

Results

Conclusion