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Article

Helping as an early indicator of a theory of mind: Mentalism or Teleology?

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Citation

Priewasser B, Rafetseder E, Gargitter C & Perner J (2018) Helping as an early indicator of a theory of mind: Mentalism or Teleology?. Cognitive Development, 46, pp. 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.08.002

Abstract
This article challenges Buttelmann, Carpenter, and Tomasello¡¯s (2009) claim that young children¡¯s helping responses in their task are based on ascribing a false belief to a mistaken agent. In the first Study 18- to 32-month old children (N = 28) were more likely to help find a toy in the false belief than in the true belief condition. In Study 2, with 54 children of the same age, we assessed the authors¡¯ mentalist interpretation of this result against an alternative teleological interpretation that does not make this assumption of belief ascription. The data speak in favor of our alternative. Children¡¯s social competency is based more on inferences about what is likely to happen in a particular situation and on objective reasons for action than on inferences about agents¡¯ mental states. We also discuss the need for testing serious alternative interpretations of claims about early belief understanding.

Keywords
helping paradigm; Theory of Mind; replication; teleology; early false belief understanding

Journal
Cognitive Development: Volume 46

StatusPublished
Publication date01/06/2018
Publication date online13/09/2017
Date accepted by journal06/08/2017
URL
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PublisherElsevier
ISSN0885-2014

People (1)

Dr Eva Rafetseder

Dr Eva Rafetseder

Associate Professor, Psychology

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