Association between Theory of Mind and Peer Problems

Abstract

The current study was designed to investigate the relationship between theory of mind (ToM) development and peer problems in Pakistani children (N=80). The non-probability purposive sampling technique with survey research design had been used for data collection. Pakistani children with age ranged 4-6 years (Mage = 5.29) were recruited who?took two false belief tasks.?To tap into peer relationship of these children, their parents completed?strength and difficulty?questionnaire. For demographic variables, descriptive statistics was used. Pearson product correlation and linear regression were used to test the hypothesis. Results revealed that performance of 6 years 6 months and older was above chance on all false belief tasks, supporting the universality of ToM development with different age ranges in different cultures. Also, theory of mind negatively predicted peer relationship?problems?of this sample, revealing real life implication of mentalizing for interaction in social world. Research indicated that false belief comprehension is key to better social adjustment and the participants of this study also showed that a child's understanding of mental state terms is critical for better social adaptation.