What is the current state of research on children's implicit theory of mind?
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Current research on children's implicit theory of mind suggests a complex developmental relation between implicit and explicit understanding. While explicit false belief comprehension typically emerges around age four, infants as young as 18 months have shown implicit understanding of theory of mind constructs. However, longitudinal studies have yielded mixed findings regarding the continuity of theory of mind development from infancy to early childhood. Anticipatory looking tasks using real-life social stimuli have not consistently captured implicit theory of mind, raising questions about the reliability of such measures. Additionally, early pretend play may offer insights into children's ability to handle inconsistent representations, which is crucial for non-factive theory of mind and belief attribution. Overall, the research highlights the intricate nature of implicit theory of mind development and the need for further exploration in this area.
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21 Citations | The research explores the developmental link between children's implicit false belief understanding and executive functions, suggesting a progression from implicit to explicit theory of mind. |
| Longitudinal studies show no clear link between infants' implicit theory of mind and later explicit understanding, suggesting limited conceptual continuity in theory of mind development. | |
| Not addressed in the paper. | |
7 Citations | The current research suggests that implicit Theory of Mind in children is not reliably measured through anticipatory looking tasks, even in realistic social situations. |
| Research suggests a shift around age 4 in children's ability to use inconsistent representations, impacting their performance on explicit false belief tasks and implicating factive and non-factive Theory of Mind. |
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