Theory of mind: The state of the art^*

* This paper is the written version of an invited address at the 18th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Utrecht, The Netherlands, August 30th, 2017.

Abstract

In this article, I reflect on theory of mind as a field (ToM), how it has developed over the years, and focally on the state of current research and theory. Having begun with preschoolers’ understanding of beliefs and desires, the field now includes research from infancy through late life, contributions and contributors from around the world, research on behavior, conversation, neural correlates, gene-environment contributions, evolution, and the social-behavioral antecedents and consequences of the unfolding trajectories of ToM understanding. Several topics in particular portray the current state of the art and my sense of where theory-of-mind research is likely to head in the near future: progressions of theory of mind achievement; cultural experiences plus experiential influences that shape developmental trajectories; developmental cognitive neuroscience; infant ToM insights; research on ToM developments beyond preschool, including children’s increasing interest in and wrestling with extraordinary minds, such as those of God and super-heroes.

Keywords:

• Theory of mind
• ToM scale
• false belief understanding
• theory theory

Notes

* This paper is the written version of an invited address at the 18th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Utrecht, The Netherlands, August 30th, 2017.