Abstract
AbstractThis study examined the link between theory of mind (ToM) in middle childhood and teachers’ propensity for mental‐state language and self‐reported conversational‐instruction strategies. Multilevel analyses on 430 Italian children (221 girls, Mage = 9.34 years, SD = .63, Range: 7.95–11.43 years) from 27 primary‐school classrooms and their teachers showed that: (i) there were striking between‐classroom differences in children's ToM; (ii) teachers’ propensity for mental‐state language (β = .14) and self‐reported conversational‐instruction strategies (β = .16) were uniquely associated with pupils’ ToM even when child‐related (i.e., age, verbal ability, number of siblings and SES) and teacher‐related variables (i.e., ToM, verbal ability and years of experience) were controlled; and (iii) the association between self‐reported conversational‐instruction strategies and ToM was significant in older children and smaller classrooms. These findings extend socio‐cultural accounts of ToM by showing a developmental continuity of environmental effects on children's ToM.
Highlights
The ability to tune into others’ thoughts, desires and emotions, called ‘theory of mind’ (ToM), has intrigued developmental scientists for more than four decades
We showed that social experiences shape ToM beyond the initial emergence of false belief understanding in the preschool years
Our results suggest that active participation in group conversations can provide a training ground for children’s ongoing ToM development in middle childhood
Summary
The ability to tune into others’ thoughts, desires and emotions, called ‘theory of mind’ (ToM), has intrigued developmental scientists for more than four decades. There is a need to understand the factors that influence developmental and individual differences in ToM in middle childhood (6–12 years of age). Socio-cultural accounts of ToM posit that social interactions are necessary for understanding of others’ minds (Heyes & Frith, 2014). The over-arching aim of the current study was to extend socio-cultural accounts of ToM by examining the link between children’s classroom context and individual differences in ToM in middle childhood. We investigated the role that classroom teachers, rather than parents, play in shaping children’s ToM beyond the preschool years by examining the relations between teachers’ self-reported classroom interactions, teachers’ mental-state language, conversational-instruction strategies and children’s ToM
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