THEORY OF MIND: WHAT IT IS, DEVELOPMENT, ACTIVITIES TO WORK IT - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The theory of mind is a cognitive and social skill that allows us to detect and understand emotional states, both our own and those of other people. It also includes the ability to understand thoughts, emotions, desires, beliefs and knowledge in other individuals, so its acquisition is essential to function properly in a social environment.

The theory of mind develops in childhood in most individuals, and its acquisition allows us to understand that the thoughts, beliefs and emotions of other people may be different from our own. For this reason, this capacity is considered to be the basis of empathy; and thanks to it we can try to understand the motivations and needs of others.

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The theory of mind is so named because all of our ideas about what someone else might be thinking are impossible to verify. Instead, we have to use our predictions to relate to other people correctly, based on what they say, the way they act, and what we know about their personalities, motivations, and intentions.

The lack of theory of mind or the deficit of this ability is one of the main characteristics of developmental disorders such as autism or Asperger syndrome. People with this problem have great difficulties understanding the feelings, intentions and ideas of others, so many times they cannot relate correctly to their environment.

In this article we will see exactly how theory of mind works, how to develop it, and how it is related to some mental disorders.

What is the theory of mind?

The theory of mind is based on the idea that the only thing we can observe directly are our own thoughts. In relating to others, therefore, we have to assume that they have a different brain than our own, and that their emotions, ideas, motivations, and needs are also different.

Normally, in our interactions with other people, we accept that the minds of others are similar to our own. However, thanks to the theory of mind, we can try to understand those aspects in which we differ, in such a way that we can correctly relate to others, understand their intentions, and predict or explain their actions.

Although this ability seems obvious and universal, the truth is that its development extends over many years, and requires an appropriate social and educational environment. According to research in child psychology, children do not begin to acquire the theory of mind until several months after their birth; and this does not develop fully until the end of adolescence.

A closely related concept is that of empathy. Within psychology, this skill is known as "emotional perspective taking," while theory of mind is called "cognitive perspective taking." Both are necessary to put ourselves in the place of another person and be able to understand them, but they do not have to always go hand in hand.

In the last 35 years, research on the theory of mind has become much more sophisticated and extensive. Some of them try to understand what the process of developing this ability is like, while others study the appearance of some of its components in lower animals. Others, for their part, seek to understand the influence of this ability in all kinds of mental illnesses.

How does it develop?

According to research on this ability, the greatest development of theory of mind occurs when children are between 3 and 5 years old. However, there are many factors that can influence this process, causing the times to vary in each individual and the results are also different.

For example, some research in this regard suggests that elements such as the number of siblings a child has, their sex, or the environment in which they move can greatly modify their level of theory of mind.

But how exactly is this skill developed? Researchers believe the main factor is the practice of social interactions. Children spend much of their time role playing, telling stories, and simply interacting with their parents, educators, and peers. All these actions help them to realize that each person has different characteristics and ways of thinking.

Usually the development of skills related to theory of mind is progressive and sequential, becoming more pronounced over the years. In most cases, it does not finish developing until adolescence, although before this many of its elements are already functional.

Stages of the theory of mind

One study found that children and adolescents typically go through five different phases in their theory of mind development process. These stages are measured according to whether or not the individual can carry out a specific task, related to some of the capacities that this faculty grants.

The stages through which the development of the theory of mind passes are the following:

- Understand that the reasons why a person wants something could be different from one individual to the next.

- Understand that each person can have different beliefs about the same situation or element.

- Understand that not everyone can tell that something is true.

- Discover that people are capable of harboring false or incorrect beliefs about the world or some of its elements.

- Understand that individuals can have emotions that they do not show to the outside, or even that they can act in one way despite wanting to do something else.

In addition to this, studies regarding the theory of mind have revealed that it can be unstable. This means that people may understand the mental states of others in some situations, but have trouble achieving it in others. This explains why, although children can overcome most tasks related to this skill by the age of 4, the theory of mind develops until adolescence.

Activities to work it

Most children develop theory of mind on their own at a normal rate. However, on some occasions it may be beneficial for them to carry out activities specifically designed to strengthen this capacity. Here we will see a list of some of the most effective.

1- Read

Encouraging children's reading has many benefits; but one of the least known is that this activity improves abilities related to the theory of mind.

By reading fictional stories, children can get into the heads of the characters in a novel and understand their motivations, emotions, and thoughts in a way that is very difficult to achieve in the real world.

2- Role plays

A role play is an activity in which those involved pretend to be other people. This is something that children do spontaneously, for example when they pretend to be doctors, teachers or astronauts.

By encouraging role plays in the little ones, these can strengthen their theory of mind by having to discover what another would do in a specific situation, and achieve it while they enjoy themselves.

3- Play hide and seek

Hide and seek may seem like a very innocent game; But in reality, with this activity the children are strengthening some very important skills of their cognitive empathy.

When you have to discover where your playmates are hiding, you need to put yourself in their shoes and try to guess what their intentions are, their knowledge of the environment, and their personal preferences.

Theory of mind in autism

Autism spectrum disorders (the most important of which are autism and Asperger syndrome) are problems with no unknown cause that cause all kinds of difficulties in the lives of the people who suffer from them. Although they affect many different areas, precisely one of the most damaged is the theory of mind.

According to research, people with an autism spectrum disorder have many problems putting themselves in the shoes of other individuals, understanding their differences, and understanding phenomena such as their emotions, their thoughts and their way of seeing the world.

It is believed that the difficulties in theory of mind of people with an autism spectrum disorder are related to a genetic deficiency, so it is very difficult for these individuals to improve in this aspect. However, in recent decades some techniques have been developed that can alleviate the consequences of this deficit to some extent.

On the other hand, it has also been proven that if people with an autism spectrum disorder receive help and training from an early age, their abilities for emotional and cognitive empathy may greatly improve.

Because of this, it is essential that children and adults who are in this group receive all the support possible so that they can lead the most satisfactory life possible.

References

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2. "Theory of Mind: Understanding Others in a Social World" in: Psychology Today. Retrieved on: October 30, 2019 from Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com.
3. "What is Theory of Mind in Psychology?" in: Thought Co. Retrieved on: October 30, 2019 from Thought Co: thoughtco.com.
4. "Autism and theory of mind" in: Medical Xpress. Retrieved on: October 30, 2019 from Medical Xpress: medicalxpress.com.
5. "Theory of mind" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: October 30, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.