theory of mind
Theory of mind, coined by Premack & Woodruff in 1978, is the specific cognitive ability to understand others as intentional agents, or, to interpret their minds in terms of theoretical concepts of intentional states such as beliefs and desires. This ability is dependent upon language, making it seem impossible to measure theory of mind in children under the age of 3, who are not able to fully communicate verbally. ... Trying to understand the distinction and correlation between the presence of the brain as a mere organ, and its ultimate function as a mind is the driving force in the application of cognitive science known as the “Theory of Mind. ... To measure theory of mind, the false belief task is used. ... Theory of mind is achieved when a child can predict someone’s behavior based upon a false belief they can attribute to that person in a specific situation. ... By following their gaze, you can have a much more accurate understanding of the theory of mind. ... By doing the implicit understanding of belief, it is simple to see how much language effects theory of mind. Without language skills, it is difficult to determine what age the theory of mind presents itself. It is thought that theory of mind could not be measured until around age 3 or 4 (Wimmer & Perner, 1983), however with the implicit understanding of belief, it is now possible for us to measure at a much younger age. Many things can affect the outcome of the task, which may be unrelated to theory of mind. ... This suggests that it is not just the mind of another person that they have trouble representing, but their own mind at different times.