Robert Seyfarth: Theory of Mind

Robert Seyfarth talks about how children develop a 'theory of mind'.

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Produced by the Richard Dawkins Foundation and R. Elisabeth Cornwell
Filmed & edited by Josh Timonen

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Psychology
• Children

[IStopAllNonsense]

@RogerLucasTango Do you believe in dinosaurs, cells, photosynthesis, etc.? Those are all theories. A theory is a widely accepted answer to a scientific problem backed up by hundreds of facts, years of research, and many scientific minds. Theories will be changed over time; updated, improved, etc. This is because science is ever growing and changing.

[debaser71]

@PeeGeeBeeDee perhaps you should look into some of the studies that absolutely show that children do answer differently depending on HOW (yeah i can use caps too) you ask them .... and nevermind that some children even get the answer right with the odd "unnatural" phrasing ... scanning over your posts leads me to believe that you have no idea what you are talking about

[mchandler2112]

@daniel12181961 Do it yourself then. It's fine to be dubious, but this is a fairly well established theory done thousands of times since Piaget did it a hundred years ago. There's not a lot of videos of it, but I'm sure you can go to your local hospital and talk to a child psychologist about it and get better information than from me.

[daniel12181961]

@mchandler2112 saw the clips (thank you) and noted distraction, discomfort and misunderstanding. I'd like to see the same tests given at home by a family member,

the use of larger objects should make a difference as well. I still see this research as incomplete.

[mchandler2112]

@daniel12181961 I wish I could find the video for you. The child wasn't lead on, and they had multiple age groups to demonstrate that young children are incapable of "seeing" things from other's perspectives. This is obvious when babies play peek-a-boo and keep getting surprised when the parent "comes back" even though they were just hidden for a few moments. Children are born 100% self-centered, and gradually come to understand things like perspective and empathy.

[daniel12181961]

@mchandler2112 now if you ask this same child if they remmember what they (i read confirmed) just saw on the other side and then ask them again what the adult now sees? is this leading? or could this be about understanding. I think there're other factors here besides age 3. I'd like to see the stats on this research. I'll look into this a bit more.

Thanks for the responce.

[mchandler2112]

@daniel12181961 The child is taught that game, they don't come up with it on their own. I'm reminded of a video where a child is put on the other side of a miniature volcano model from a grown up. The child's side has trees and little people, the adult's has buildings and boats. The child is shown the adult's side and confirms that the child sees the buildings/boats, then is moved to the other side. When asked what the adult sees, the child answers "trees and little people."

[PeeGeeBeeDee]

@debaser71 NO IDEA

[daniel12181961]

one of the first games we learn before we speek is to hide an object behind our back and make someone guess which hand it's in. this by itself is some level of awareness of theory of mind and difference in thought. I think choice provokes thinking and awareness. Mr. Seyfarth I feel you have limited your research ...

[SuperRustyTrumbone]

@IStopAllNonsense That was very informative, ecspecially for the fact that there are no dinosour bones, our microscopes cant see DNA and plants don't die without sun.

[EvolutionNoEvidence]

@VonSwaggernaut ya plonka , god bless

[VonSwaggernaut]

@EvolutionNoEvidence i concur