Advanced Theory of Mind

Abstract Theory of mind (i.e., beliefs about the mental world) has been perhaps the most heavily researched topic in developmental psychology for close to 30 years. Most research has concentrated on the first 5 years of life, a time period during which a number of important developmental changes occur. No one, however, has ever believed that the development of theory of mind is complete by age 5, and recent years have seen the growth of a substantial research literature directed to further developments across the middle childhood and adolescent years. This book brings together this large and diverse body of work. Four interrelated themes recur throughout the book. One concerns the descriptive picture for the target of study: What is the nature of theory of mind across different parts of the lifespan? In particular, how does the study of advanced developments add to the well-documented problems and achievements of the first 5 years? A second theme concerns how to explain the developmental changes that are observed, both the commonalties that characterize development and individual differences in the speed or the extent of mastery. A third theme concerns the effects of theory of mind on other aspects of development. Of interest are both individual differences within the normative range and the effects of clinical conditions, most notably autism. A final theme is the theoretical question of how best to characterize advanced theory of mind. A central issue is whether theories designed to explain early developments can be successfully extended to more advanced forms of understanding.