Theory Of Mind Competence Research Articles

The 36-Item Yoni Task: Normative Data for the Clinical Assessment of Theory of Mind.

Background: The evaluation of Theory of Mind (ToM) in the clinical setting remains limited due to the lack of valid instruments for a quick and reliable assessment. In this study, the psychometric properties of the Yoni-36 task were tested, and correction grids, equivalence scores, and normative data were computed. Methods: In total, 318 healthy subjects (169 females; mean age = 42.22 ± 18.11 years; mean education = 15.01 ± 3.43 years) were enrolled and administered the Yoni-36 task. Results: Statistical analysis showed good-to-high internal consistency, split-half reliability, and discrimination ability (especially for the second-order items) of the Yoni-36 task. Regression models highlighted the predictive role of age and education on second-order, affective, cognitive accuracy, and response time scores. Education influenced the first-order ToM response time score as well. Based on β values of the regressions, raw scores of the Yoni task were adjusted for sex, age, and education, and correction grids were computed. The equivalent scores indicated an accuracy index score < 0.69 and a response time index score < 0.83 as cut-off points for ToM competence. Normative data reported a mean accuracy and response time index score of 0.90 ± 0.11 and 0.91 ± 0.05 in the Italian population, respectively. Conclusions: The Yoni-36 proved to be a valid instrument for a quick and reliable ToM assessment, suitable to be included in neuropsychological batteries and to be used in routine clinical practice.

Early bilingualism enhances theory of mind in children from low-income households via executive function skills

The study focuses on children in poverty and investigates whether early bilingualism enhances economically disadvantaged children’s Theory of Mind (ToM), and what role Executive Function plays in the relation between bilingualism and ToM. Sixty-eight preschool-aged children (35 English monolinguals, 51.4% boys, and 33 English-Spanish bilingual children, 57.5% boys) from low-income backgrounds completed standardized language assessments, three executive function tasks, and a five-task ToM battery. Results showed that after controlling for children’s age, income-to-needs ratio, and English proficiency, bilingual children demonstrated greater ToM competence compared to monolingual children. A higher degree of bilingualism was associated with better ToM performance in bilingual children. Mediation analyses showed that children’s working memory and attention shifting accounted for the links between bilingualism and ToM. The findings suggest that an early bilingual learning experience may facilitate preschool children’s ToM development in economically disadvantaged environments, and this relation was differentially impacted by executive function components.

Changes of Meta-Representational Skills in Ageing: First Empirical Evidence on the Relation between Metalinguistic Competence and Attributions of Mental States

Background. The present paper focuses on meta-representational changes occurring in ageing by studying the decline in Definitional Competence, an ability so far little studied in this period of life.&#x0D; Purpose. The paper hypothesises a relation between Theory of Mind (ToM) and Definitional Competence, in a view that posits the former as a preparatory and facilitating competence for a more complex linguistic production, that is lexicographic definition. The effects of levels of education on the decline in ageing for Definitional Competence and ToM are also investigated.&#x0D; Methods. We recruited 24 adults (age range 21–55), 25 young-old adults (age range 60–70) and 25 old-old adults (age range 71–85) and administered them the Eyes task to measure ToM and the Co.De. Scale to assess Definitional Competence.&#x0D; Results. Results suggest that Definitional Competence declines earlier on than ToM, mirroring the well-known process according to which in semantic knowledge, during ageing, taxonomic relations are lost before thematic ones. Our results also show that better levels of education are associated with better performance in both our key constructs and that ToM predicts Definitional Competence, in line with our expectations.&#x0D; Conclusion. The paper offers one of the first systematic studies on the changes in Definitional Competence during the last phase of life and it provides theoretical insights into the relation between ToM and Definitional Competence in ageing.&#x0D; Implications. The paper is informative for future interventions aimed at enhancing linguistic and metalinguistic skills in ageing through the preservation of better levels of awareness and the assumption of a decentralised perspective in interpersonal communication.

Different mediators of applied theory-of-mind competence in children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundChildren with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) with mild and moderate symptom levels have significant differences in applied theory of mind (ToM) competence. However, their mediators of applied ToM competence have not been documented. AimsThis study aimed to identify the mediators of applied ToM competence in these two clinically distinct groups. MethodsA total of 163 children with ASD aged 3–12 years old (88 and 75 children respectively in the mild and moderate groups) and their caregivers participated in this study. Data of children’s verbal comprehension, explicit ToM knowledge and applied ToM competence were collected and then analyzed using mediation analysis. ResultsThe results of mediation analysis showed that verbal comprehension (95% confidence interval [CI] of indirect effect: 0.02 − 0.19) and explicit ToM knowledge (95% CI of indirect effect: 0.01 − 0.07) were the mediators of applied ToM competence in children with mild and those with moderate symptoms, respectively. Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings demonstrate that the mediators of applied ToM competence differ by symptom level in children with ASD. Applied ToM competence and the mediators should be assessed for designing tailored and effective intervention plans for these children according to their symptom level.

Explicit and implicit theory of mind and social competence: A social information processing framework

Theory of mind (ToM) refers to children's understanding that mental states, such as beliefs desires, or intentions, rather than reality, drive actions implicitly or explicitly. The research community considers proficiency with prototypical tasks as marking the transition from earlier appearing implicit ToM, observed from the first year of life, to a more advanced explicit ToM, consolidated between the ages of four and six. Despite unsettled questions concerning continuity or discontinuity of underlying cognitive mechanisms, researchers rely on explicit measures of ToM beyond early childhood, neglecting implicit measures. Breaking new ground, we align explicit (standard) and implicit (picture-elicited storytelling) ToM tasks with their respective requirements for social information processing and revisit relations between ToM and social competence with kindergarteners using both types of tasks. Findings challenge the prevailing emphasis on explicit ToM and encourage consideration of the information processing requirements of measures to discern mental states.

Language Can Obscure as Well as Facilitate Apparent-Theory of Mind Performance: Part 2-The Case of Dyslexia in Adulthood.

Many studies imply causal links between linguistic competencies and Theory of Mind (ToM). But despite Dyslexia being a prime example of linguistic deficits, studies on whether it is related to ToM have been relatively unforthcoming. In the first of 2 studies (N = 89), independently-diagnosed dyslexic adults and non-dyslexic adults were presented with false-belief vignettes via computer, answering 4 types of question (Factual, Inference, 1st-order ToM & 2nd-order ToM). Dyslexia related to lower false-belief scores. Study 2 (N = 93) replicated this result with a non-computer-based variant on the false-belief task. We considered the possibility that the apparent-issue with ToM is caused by processing demands more associated to domains of cognition such as language, than to ToM itself. Addressing this possibility, study 2 additionally utilised the ToM30Q questionnaire, designed largely to circumvent issues related to language and memory. Principal-Components analysis extracted 4 factors, 2 capturing perceptual/representational ToM, and the other 2 capturing affective components related to ToM. The ToM30Q was validated via its associations to a published measure of empathy, replication of the female gender advantage over males, and for one factor from the ToM30Q there was a correlation with an existing published index of ToM. However, when we considered the performance of dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants using the ToM30Q, we found absolutely no difference between them. The contrasting findings from our 2 studies here, arguably offer the first experimental evidence with adults, that there is in fact no ToM deficit in dyslexia. Additionally, this finding raises the possibility that some other groups considered in some sense atypical, failed ToM tasks, not because they actually have a ToM deficit at all, but rather because they are asked to reveal their ToM competence through cognitive domains, such as language and memory.

Social Cognition in Children With Non-specific Intellectual Disabilities: An Exploratory Study.

Social cognitive abilities – notably, Theory of Mind (ToM) and social information processing (SIP) – are key skills for the development of social competence and adjustment. By understanding affective and cognitive mental states and processing social information correctly, children will be able to enact prosocial behaviors, to interact with peers and adults adaptively, and to be socially included. As social adjustment and inclusion are major issues for children with intellectual disabilities (IDs), the present study aimed to explore their social cognitive profile by combining cluster analysis of both ToM and SIP competence, and to investigate the structure of relations between these skills in children with IDs. Seventy-eight elementary school children with non-specific IDs were recruited. They had a chronological age ranging from 4 years and 8 months to 12 years and 6 months and presented a preschool developmental age. Performance-based measures were administered to assess ToM and SIP abilities. Questionnaires were completed by the children’s parents to evaluate the children’s social competence and adjustment and their risk of developing externalizing or internalizing behaviors. Exploratory analysis highlighted strengths and weaknesses in the social cognitive profiles of these children with IDs. It also emphasized that the understanding of affective and cognitive mental states was used differently when facing appropriate vs. inappropriate social behaviors. The present study leads to a better understanding of the socio-emotional profile of children with IDs and offers some suggestions on how to implement effective interventions.

Theory of Mind as a Mediator Between Emotional Trust Beliefs and Interpersonal Communication Competence in a Group of Young Adults.

Research has provided direct and indirect evidence of associations between trust beliefs and social-perceptual theory of mind (ToM) and between social-perceptual ToM and interpersonal communication competence during childhood and adolescence. This research (a) developed a scale for evaluating trust beliefs in young Italian adults (Study 1) and (b) examined how social-perceptual ToM mediates the relationship between emotional trust beliefs and interpersonal communication competences such as assertiveness and empathy (Study 2). In Study 1, a sample of 168 university students (M = 23.3, SD = 3 months) completed the Italian Adults' Generalized Trust Beliefs (AGTB) scale and two second-order false beliefs tasks. In Study 2, 318 Italian university students (M = 22.96 years, SD = 2 months) completed the AGTB scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and items measuring assertiveness and empathy. As expected, the AGTB scale exhibited acceptable internal consistency, structural validity, and construct validity. Furthermore, path analysis confirmed the existence of the hypothesized paths between adults' emotional trust beliefs, social-perceptual ToM, assertiveness, and empathy. This study also identified the effects of gender on the other variables, but sex did not moderate the relationships between variables.

Social Cognition in Rehabilitation Context: Different Evolution of Affective and Cognitive Theory of Mind in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Maintaining social skills such as Theory of Mind (ToM) competences is important to counteract the conversion into dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Multidimensional nonpharmacological interventions demonstrated their potential in improving cognitive and behavioral abilities; however, little is known about the long-term effect of such interventions on social skills in people with MCI. The aim of this longitudinal study was to monitor ToM competences considering both cognitive and affective domains in an amnestic MCI (aMCI) sample involved in a home-based multistimulation treatment (MST@H). 30 aMCI subjects (M : F = 15 : 15; mean age ± SD = 77.00 ± 4.60) were enrolled, and three steps of evaluation with neuropsychological tests and ToM tasks have been implemented. 21 healthy controls (HC) were also included (M : F = 9 : 12; mean age ± SD = 74.95 ± 3.88) to characterize the aMCI sample regarding differences in ToM performance compared to HC at the baseline evaluation. Our results show that the aMCI group statistically significantly underperformed the HC group only in the advanced ToM tasks, confirming an initial decline of high-level ToM competences in this population. The longitudinal evaluation revealed time changes not only in some subcognitive domains of MoCA (memory and executive functions) but also in cognitive and affective ToM dimensions in aMCI subjects. Our findings suggest that cognitive and affective ToM can be considered useful outcome measures to test the long-term effect of treatment over time.

Theory of mind and social competence in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy.

The primary aim of this study was to examine theory of mind (ToM) and its relationship to social competence in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between ToM, social competence, epilepsy variables, and executive functioning (EF). Twenty-two children and adolescents (8-16 years old) with TLE and 22 typically developing controls completed two advanced behavioural tests of ToM (faux-pas, strange stories), measures of EF and verbal IQ. Parents completed questionnaires assessing ToM and social competence of their child. Epilepsy variables were obtained from treating neurologists and interviews with parents. Children and adolescents with TLE had significant impairments in cognitive and affective ToM, reduced social competence, and lower verbal IQ than controls. Although verbal IQ was reduced in the TLE group, it was not related to ToM or social functioning. ToM impairment (a single score encompassing cognitive and affective ToM) was significantly correlated with social competence problems in our TLE group. Longer duration of epilepsy was related to reduced ToM and social competence, while earlier onset of seizures was related to social competence problems only. Finally, EF was neither impaired nor related to ToM or social problems in children and adolescents with TLE. This study revealed marked ToM impairments and associated social difficulties in children and adolescents with TLE. The results support studies demonstrating similar impairments in children with other epilepsy subtypes and highlight the importance of detecting and treating ToM and social difficulties in this group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

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

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.

A novel cognitive behavioural intervention with Theory of Mind (ToM) training for children with epilepsy: protocol for a case series feasibility study

BackgroundChildren with epilepsy have significant social impairments, yet evidence-based interventions to address these social difficulties are lacking. Emerging research has shown that social difficulties in children with epilepsy relate to underlying impairments in Theory of Mind (ToM). This paper outlines the protocol for a pilot study that will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a novel cognitive behavioural intervention with ToM training for children with epilepsy.MethodsThe intervention will be evaluated in a single-arm case series feasibility study. Ten to 12 children with common forms of epilepsy (8 to 12 years old) will be recruited to participate in 4 small group workshops, held over 4 consecutive weeks. Parents will attend a brief review at the end of each session with their child. Children will complete 4 one-to-one assessments with an investigator assessing ToM and social competence: twice at baseline (4 weeks and 1 day before the intervention), at post-intervention (last day of the intervention) and at follow-up (4 weeks post intervention). Parents will complete online questionnaires at these same 4 time points assessing ToM and social competence of their child. Parents and children will both complete a weekly measure of social competence from baseline 1 to follow-up. Following completion of the intervention, parents will complete two standardised questionnaires assessing treatment acceptability and barriers and facilitators to attendance; children will complete a single questionnaire on treatment acceptability. Information about feasibility outcomes (i.e. recruitment and retention, processing time, suitability of tasks) will be gathered by investigators during the trial. Together, outcomes will be used to refine research methods and make a decision about whether the intervention should be evaluated in a larger scale trial.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first psychosocial intervention to address social competence problems in children with epilepsy. Findings will provide information about a potentially effective treatment that could improve longer term social outcomes for this group.Trial registrationAustralia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12618000974202, registered June 8 2018.

Reliability and generalizability of an acted-out false belief task in 3-year-olds

The current study tested the reliability and generalizability of a narrative act-out false belief task held to reveal Theory of Mind (ToM) competence at 3 years of age, before children pass verbal standard false belief tasks (the “Duplo task”; Rubio-Fernández & Geurts, 2013, Psychological Science). We conducted the task across two labs with methodologically improved matched control conditions. Further, we administered an analogue intensionality version to assess the scope of ToM competence in the Duplo task. 72 3-year-olds participated in a Duplo change-of-location task, a Duplo intensionality task, and half of them in a matched verbal standard change-of-location task, receiving either false belief or matched true belief scenarios. Children performed at chance in the false belief Duplo location change and intensionality tasks as well as in the standard false belief task. There were no differences to the standard task, and performance correlated across all three false belief tasks, revealing a rather unified competence and no task advantage. In the true belief conditions of both Duplo tasks, children performed at ceiling and significantly different from the false belief conditions, while they were at chance in the true belief condition of the standard task. The latter indicates that a pragmatic advantage of the Duplo task compared to the standard task holds only for the true belief scenarios. Our study shows that the Duplo task measures the same ToM competence as the standard task and rejects a notion of earlier false belief understanding on the group level in 3-year-old children.

Neural correlates of developing theory of mind competence in early childhood

Theory of mind (ToM) encompasses a range of abilities that show different developmental time courses. However, relatively little work has examined the neural correlates of ToM during early childhood. In this study, we investigated the neural correlates of ToM in typically developing children aged 4–8 years using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We calculated whole-brain functional connectivity with the right temporo-parietal junction (RTPJ), a core region involved in ToM, and examined its relation to children's early, basic, and advanced components of ToM competence assessed by a parent-report measure. Total ToM and both basic and advanced ToM components, but not early, consistently showed a positive correlation with connectivity between RTPJ and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus; advanced ToM was also correlated with RTPJ to left TPJ connectivity. However, early and advanced ToM components showed negative correlation with the right inferior/superior parietal lobe, suggesting that RTPJ network differentiation is also related to ToM abilities. We confirmed and extended these results using a Bayesian modeling approach demonstrating significant relations between multiple nodes of the mentalizing network and ToM abilities, with no evidence for differences in relations between ToM components. Our data provide new insights into the neural correlates of multiple aspects of ToM in early childhood and may have implications for both typical and atypical development of ToM.

Bystanders in Bullying: Do ToM and Social Competence Skills Play a Role?

The present study aimed at investigating: (a) the direct effects of Theory of Mind (ToM) on elementary school children&amp;rsquo;s self-reports of participant roles in school bullying, (b) ToM&amp;rsquo;s indirect effects via self-reported social competence skills. Gender was examined as moderator. A total of 171 elementary school children (&amp;Nu; = 95 girls) from 3rd to 6thgrade from Greek public schools participated in the study. Participants were examined individually through the administration of advanced ToM stories. Also, they were asked to complete in groups self-report questionnaires as regards their roles as bystanders in bullying situations and their social competence skills. Path analysis indicated significant positive direct effects of ToM on prosocial skills and defending behavior and a negative effect on assisting/reinforcing behavior. Significant indirect effects were found from ToM on bystanding behavior, via its direct effect on prosocial competence skills. Gender was not a significant moderator of the above relations.

Unintentional and intentional falsehoods: The role of morally relevant theory of mind

This study investigated how theory of mind (ToM) competence is related to children’s ability to differentiate between intentional and unintentional false statements regarding claims to resources. Participants (4–10 years old; N = 122) heard about individuals who had different access to knowledge about resource ownership when making resource claims, and they were asked to make an evaluation, attribute intentions, assign punishment, and predict the teacher’s assigned punishment. Two measures of ToM were assessed: a prototypic false belief ToM assessment and a contextually embedded, morally relevant false belief theory of mind (MoToM) assessment. Children’s ToM competence reliably predicted more favorable evaluations of the individual who made the unintentional false claim than of the one who did so intentionally. Furthermore, the contextually embedded MoToM assessment predicted children’s responses for all of the assessments above and beyond age and prototypic ToM competence. The findings indicate that children’s contextually embedded MoToM competence bears on their moral assessments of the intentions of transgressors and underscores the importance of ToM in the ability to discriminate intentional and unintentional false statements.

Theory of Mind and social competence in children and adolescents with genetic generalised epilepsy (GGE): Relationships to epilepsy severity and anti-epileptic drugs

PurposeThis study aimed to examine Theory of Mind (ToM) and social competence in children and adolescents with genetic generalised epilepsy (GGE), and explore how they relate to neurocognitive and epilepsy variables. MethodsTwenty-two children and adolescents with GGE (8–16 years old) and 22 typically developing controls completed two behavioural tasks (faux-pas, strange stories) assessing cognitive and affective ToM, and a battery of standardised neuropsychological tests. Parents completed questionnaires assessing ToM and social competence. Neurologists completed the Global Assessment Severity of Epilepsy (GASE) scale to measure of epilepsy severity. ResultsChildren and adolescents with GGE were impaired in both cognitive and affective ToM, and had reduced social competence compared to controls, which was not attributable to low intellectual functioning or impaired executive skills (working memory, inhibition). Lower ToM correlated with reduced social competence in children and adolescents with GGE. Clinical variables identified included: (i) higher daily dosage of valproate, which was correlated with reduced affective ToM, (ii) higher daily dosages of ethosuximide and lamotrigine, which were correlated with reduced social competence, and (iii) overall epilepsy severity on the GASE, which was correlated with reduced social competence. ConclusionsOur study revealed cognitive and affective ToM impairments in children and adolescents with GGE, which correlated with everyday social problems. Moreover, higher dosages of commonly prescribed anti-epileptic drugs and overall epilepsy severity were related to ToM impairments and social competence problems. Although preliminary, these findings provide critical information for detection and screening procedures for social difficulties in children and adolescents with GGE, which are currently lacking.

Theory of mind is related to children's resource allocations in gender stereotypic contexts.

The present study investigated the relations between 4- to 6-year-old children's (N = 67) gender stereotypes, resource allocations, and mental state knowledge in gender-stereotypic contexts. Participants were told vignettes about female and male characters completing gender-stereotyped activities (making dolls or trucks). Children held stereotypic expectations regarding doll- and truck-making abilities, and these expectations predicted the degree of bias in their allocations of resources to the characters. Critically, children's performance on a Theory of Mind (ToM) Scale (Diverse Desires [DD], Contents False-Belief [FB], Belief-Emotion [BE]) was significantly related to their allocations of resources to individuals whose effort did not fit existing gender stereotypes (e.g., a boy who was good at making dolls). With increasing ToM competence, children allocated resources based on merit (even when the character's effort did not fit existing gender stereotypes) rather than based on stereotypes. The present results provide novel information regarding the emergence of gender stereotypes about abilities, the influence of stereotypes on children's resource allocations, and the role of ToM in children's ability to challenge gender stereotypes when allocating resources. (PsycINFO Database Record

False belief attribution in children with Williams syndrome: the answer is in the emotion.

Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) show difficulties in attributing false beliefs, whereas they are better at attributing emotions. This study examines whether being asked about the emotion linked to a false belief, instead of explicitly about the belief, facilitates performance on theory of mind (ToM) tasks. Thirty children with WS and 90 typically developing children, who were individually matched on mental age (50-112months), were administered six explicit (i.e. questions on belief) and six implicit (i.e. questions on emotion) trials of false belief tasks. Theory of mind competences were related to cognitive development. Children with WS performed comparably to typically developing children on the emotion questions. Correct answers to questions on emotion reveal an implicit understanding of false belief. The Representational redescription process could be impaired in the domain of ToM in this population. This finding has relevant implications for the design of supports aiming to optimise the development of ToM competences in individuals with WS.

The Role of Theory of Mind on Social Information Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Mediation Analysis.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show significant impairments in social skills and theory of mind (ToM). The aim of this study was to evaluate ToM and social information processing abilities in 52 children with ASD compared to 55 typically developing (TD) children. A mediation analysis evaluated whether social information processing abilities can be mediated by ToM competences. In our results, children with autism showed a deficit in social skills and ToM components. The innovative results of our study applying mediation analysis demonstrate that ToM plays a key role in the development of social abilities, and the lack of ToM competences in children with autism impairs their competent social behavior.