The "False Belief" Test: Theory of Mind

VvAnarchangelvV Says:

Aug 20, 2011 - whether or not this hypothesis is true, it postulates that the child is unable to distinguish what the child knows from what other people know. That is not the same thing as believing the adult to be omnipotentAlso, I would be extremely reluctant to include lying in any other situation, as its mechanisms and motivation are so potent as to drown out other considerations; one of the major considerations of any experiment is to eliminate as many extraneous variables as possible

4Gottlos Says:

Aug 27, 2011 - I think I understand what you're saying, but your language is very verbose. Anyway, according to the video, a child thinks everyone knows what they know. They know that they have stolen a cookie, therefore an adult would also know that they have stolen a cookie.Maybe a different explanation is correct, but if the video is accurate then that's what applies.

bigskybcs Says:

Aug 29, 2011 - and Democrat Christians live in a constant state of false belief... ?? What does faith have to do with politics? I know many "liberal" Christians, and I know Republicans who are not Christians. Maybe you should develop some cognition about stereotypes... and false beliefs.

4Brownie4 Says:

Aug 29, 2011 - ADOWABLEEEEEE

rebskie1 Says:

Sep 4, 2011 - maybe they wanna at least TRY to get out of it? lol :P

mrjedidja Says:

Sep 24, 2011 - I have memories from when I was like 2-3yrs, when I used to intentionally push my 1yr old sister off the bad to make her cry. My mom would quickly come and I'd lie to her that she fell on her own. :P False beliefs yeah right.

mrjedidja Says:

Sep 24, 2011 - Maybe kids just don't understand hypothetical questions?

SameThingSameThing Says:

Oct 1, 2011 - There's something that this test, and the "mountain" test, don't take into account: At that age, kids have only been in situations like this when someone was doing a trick, playing a game or trying to "pull a fast one" on them. I have some vague memory of tests sort of like this being done on me as a kid and thinking that I was supposed to answer counter-intuitively to be right for some reason. If the kid could voice his perception it would start with, "Well, ma'am, Snoopy is a stuffed animal."

TRueORo Says:

Oct 12, 2011 - Maybe the kid just wants snoopy to answer the question correctly. Didn't the kid say " I always thought there were candles in the box". Maybe, the kid just wants to please the interviewer right?

missineichen Says:

Oct 18, 2011 - this is a test for autism too

wiiildfire Says:

Oct 23, 2011 - That's a very good point. Children are used to adults looking for the "right" answers. I also agree with mrjedidja who said maybe kids don't understand hypothetical questions. I understand what this experiment is trying to do, but there are too many variables to jump to a fixed conclusion.

koshkadruid Says:

Oct 27, 2011 - agree, my son lies to and he is 3.5 and i tried the test he failed lol :))

ThePlanetHorizon Says:

Nov 6, 2011 - There is no failure. There are brains.

castlesuzie Says:

Nov 9, 2011 - Maybe you should try to develop that ability, and put yourself in a republican Christian's place, and maybe not be so judgmental.

pichirisu Says:

Nov 12, 2011 - DAMN! That second baby was creepy lookin' as fuck.

thisisOktawia17 Says:

Nov 19, 2011 - They are called DEMOCRATS!

KalifNiggi Says:

Dec 17, 2011 - Psychologists claim that this is simply a learned tactic of avoiding punishment.Quite plausible ;)

IDM011 Says:

Dec 26, 2011 - Sooo this is false mind???

theraver2020 Says:

Feb 14, 2012 - Obama doesn't have theory of mind...he does not believe that people don't like him. Diagnose him with autism.

ThePhillies19 Says:

Feb 25, 2012 - @NotSoOldHippy How about liberal atheists who always stereotype Christians and Republicans?

gorgolyt Says:

Feb 25, 2012 - How about Christian Republicans who always stereotype all liberal atheists as people who would stereotype Christians and Republicans?

SoberAllmanBrosFan Says:

Mar 25, 2012 - I'm not familiar with that study. The "Liberal atheists who always stereotype Christians & Republicans" study? I like the title! It's a wonderful "catch-22" but you obviously knew that because you are not an idiot & would never stereotype a group of people while, simultaneously, condemning them for stereotyping others. That would be hypocrisy. What kind of study was it? A psychological evaluation on stereotypes in America?

Youcansuckme69 Says:

Apr 6, 2012 - Association with "you take cookie" and "you get punished". Even animals understand this principle.

koneserkaEm Says:

May 8, 2012 - Many thanks. Your explanation of one of the constructivist theory which is Theory of mind, brought me wider understanding in this field.

FireStormBaller Says:

May 25, 2012 - Knowing and believing is different. They say believing not knowing. Lying and thinking is different.