THEORY OF MIND

Diagnosis, Barriers and Treatment - Theory of Mind



Diagnosis, Barriers and Treatment - Theory of Mind

Introduction

The theory of mind (ToM) is the aptitude to accredit mental states, for instance emotions and beliefs, to other persons and to oneself. This ability to think about our thinking, often commonly called reflection, and to think about other persons has been a key factor in humans' success. Arguably it has helped us improve our cooperation with other persons in the group, as well as enhance our learning. Theory of mind focuses on when and how children come to understand the mind. This research covers topics ranging from the development of the ability to distinguish appearance from reality to children's understanding of dreams, beliefs, intentions, desires, and deception. Researchers are also interested in when and how children come to think of the self and other people as psychological beings. This paper discusses diagnosis, barriers and treatment in relation with the Theory Of Mind.

Discussion

Theory of mind is the aptitude to characteristic 'false belief' to other persons. This is the skill to know that other persons may have principles which are dissimilar from our own and that such beliefs will reflect an individual's knowledge and experiences; and further, that understanding such beliefs can help us understand that person's behaviour in dissimilar situations. It is one of the most significant landmarks in an person's growth of their individual. While research and development of ToM have concentrated on child development, the concept has been foundational in the development of emotional intelligence - often described as EQ (emotional quotient). (Williams, 2000)

A number of studies have explored when children begin to understand the thinking of other people. Maxi returns and wants his candy. At this point, the researcher would ask the child where Maxi will look for his candy. Older preschoolers, 4- to 5-year-old children, typically say that Maxi will search in the cupboard, indicating they assume that Maxi will look where he believes the candy is, not where they themselves know the candy to be. In other words, they attribute a belief, or mental state, to Maxi and use this belief as a basis for their response. To answer in this way, the child needs to hold two understandings or representations of the situation in his mind simultaneously: what the child himself knows to be true and what Maxi believes to be true. Three-year-old children respond quite in a different way; they say that Maxi will look for the candy in the drawer where his mother put it. In other words, the child has his own belief about where the candy is based on his knowledge, and he is unable to separate his understanding from the mental state of the child in the story. Thus, the child's answer represents his own belief about where the candy is. (Baron, 2008) (Baron, 2005)

Although this fundamental prototype of effects has been duplicated in a wide range of studies, the findings have been contested on a number of ...