Author:
Putko Adam,Złotogórska Agata
Abstract
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to examine whether children’s ability to justify their action predictions in terms of mental states is related, in a similar way as the ability to predict actions, to such aspects of executive function (EF) as executive control and working memory. An additional objective was to check whether the frequency of different types of justifications made by children in false-belief tasks is associated with aforementioned aspects of EF, as well as language. The study included 59 children aged 3-4 years. The ability to predict actions and to justify these predictions was measured with false-belief tasks. Luria’s hand-game was used to assess executive control, and the Counting and Labelling dual-task was used to assess working memory capacity. Language development was controlled using an embedded syntax test. It was found that executive control was a significant predictor of the children’s ability to justify their action predictions in terms of mental states, even when age and language were taken into account. Results also indicated a relationship between the type of justification in the false-belief task and language development. With the development of language children gradually cease to justify their action predictions in terms of current location, and they tend to construct irrelevant justifications before they begin to refer to beliefs. Data suggest that executive control, in contrast to language, is a factor which affects the development of the children’s ability to justify their action predictions only in its later phase, during a shift from irrelevant to correct justifications.
Reference64 articles.
1. The relation between acquisition of a theory of mind and the capacity to hold in mind;Gordon;Journal of Experimental Child Psychology,1998
2. Trick or treat Uneven understanding of mind and emotion and executive dysfunction in hard to manage preschoolers of and;Hughes;Journal Child Psychology Psychiatry,1998
3. Masking of children s early understanding of the representational mind : Backwards explanation versus prediction;Robinson;Child Development,1995
4. Finding your marbles : Does preschoolers strategic behaviour predict later understanding of mind;Hughes;Developmental Psychology,1998
5. False belief prediction and explanation : Which develops first and why it matters;Bartsch;International Journal of Behavioral Development,1998
Cited by
4 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献