theory of mind
Understanding others' thoughts
Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intentions, desires, knowledge—to oneself and others, and to understand that others may have perspectives different from one's own.
A child develops theory of mind when she realizes that someone who didn't see where the candy was hidden won't know where to find it.
The concept is central to developmental psychology, autism research, and debates about animal cognition and artificial intelligence.
Inferring others' mental states
- perspective-takingUnderstanding another's viewpoint
- intentionalityPurposeful action quality
- mindreadingPerceiving others' thoughts directly
- metacognitionAwareness of own reasoning
Understanding another's viewpoint
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- sympathyCompassionate understanding of others
- concernTroubled interest in something
- rapportHarmonious mutual connection
Only self surely exists
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
- qualiaSubjective character of experiences
- consciousnessState of sentient awareness
- functionalismTheory emphasizing purposes and roles
Cannot infer mental states
- neurotypicalStandard cognitive wiring
- spectrumContinuous range of values
- neurodiversityInnate cognitive differences concept
- camouflagingConcealing by blending in
Life's earliest phase
- pointingDirecting attention somewhere
- imitationCopy of the original
- precursorsThings preceding others
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
Magnetic neural activity imaging
- amygdalaEmotion-processing brain cluster
- neuroimagingVisualizing nervous system structure
mentalizing
Inferring others' mental states
- perspective-takingUnderstanding another's viewpoint
- intentionalityPurposeful action quality
- mindreadingPerceiving others' thoughts directly
perspective-taking
Understanding another's viewpoint
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- sympathyCompassionate understanding of others
- concernTroubled interest in something
solipsism
Only self surely exists
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
- qualiaSubjective character of experiences
- consciousnessState of sentient awareness
mindblindness
Cannot infer mental states
- neurotypicalStandard cognitive wiring
- spectrumContinuous range of values
- neurodiversityInnate cognitive differences concept
childhood
Life's earliest phase
- pointingDirecting attention somewhere
- imitationCopy of the original
- precursorsThings preceding others
fMRI
Magnetic neural activity imaging
- amygdalaEmotion-processing brain cluster
- neuroimagingVisualizing nervous system structure
- developmentgrowth, progress, advancement, expansion, improvement
- child developmentbaby, toddler, newborn, infancy, milestones
- psychologypsychology, psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, clinical psychology
- animal cognitionlearning, memory, problem solving, reasoning, attention
- cognitive developmentsensorimotor, preoperational, object permanence, accommodation, equilibration
- empathy skillsempathy, sympathy, compassion, caring, kindness
mind, theory, theories, theoretical, theorize, theorist, theoretically, theorizing, theoretician