This book is a result of a study group that met to discuss the child's theory of mind. A topic whose effects span cognitive, language, and social development, it may bring a unifying influence to developmental psychology. New studies in this area acknowledge children's conceptions of intention and belief, as well as intention and belief themselves, and consider the explanations they provide for children's developing abilities. The contributors to this important volume examine several aspects of the child's theory of mind, and present significant research findings on the theory itself and how...

How do children develop an understanding of people as psychological entities--as feeling, thinking beings? How do they come to understand human behavior as driven by desires and informed by reason? These questions are at the heart of contemporary research on children’ s “ theories of mind.” Although there has been an enormous amount of research on this topic, nobody­ --until now--has provided a coherent account that traces the development of theory of mind from birth to five years.
This book begins by analyzing the nature of commonsense psychology and exploring the...

How do children develop an understanding of people as psychological entities - as feeling, thinking beings? How do they come to understand human behavior as driven by desires and informed by reason? These questions are at the heart of contemporary research on children's "theories of mind." Although there has been an enormous amount of research on this topic, nobody - until now - has provided a coherent account that traces the development of theory of mind from birth to five years.

This book begins by analyzing the nature of commonsense psychology and exploring the developmental...