Theory of mind and socio-emotional competence in children of primary school age (as estimated by parents and teachers)

Abstract

The paper deals with the role of theory of mind in the development of socio-emotional competence in children of primary school age. The purpose was to study the role of theory of mind in the socio-emotional competence of children aged 7–9 as assessed by parents and teachers. To assess the level of children’s social and emotional competence, teachers and parents have developed a questionnaire aimed at assessing: the recognition and understanding of emotions; the understanding of the mental states of other people and the possibility of using them to predict behavior; the understanding of deception, false beliefs, and misunderstandings in social situations; empathy, pro-social behavior, the understanding of moral and ethical norms and rules; the development of social and communication skills. The development of theory of mind was assessed using the «Reading the Mind in the Eyes» test and the «Faux Pas Recognition Test». The study involved 49 children aged 7–9 (21 girls). When assessing the socio-emotional competence of primary school children, adults mainly rely on social understanding skills such as recognizing emotions and expressing empathy. The results of the study demonstrate differences in the assessments of socio-emotional competence depending on the children’s performance in tests for theory of mind. Significant relationships were found between the children’s recognition of mental states by eye expressions and adults’ assessments. Interestingly, no significant correlations were found between understanding of false beliefs and teachers’ assessments of socio-emotional competence, in contrast to the parents’ assessments. Interpretation of the results suggests a possible difference in the observation of children’s behavior among peers (by teachers) and among adults and siblings (by parents).