Did you know, your toddler is learning to understand what people think, feel and believe
Theory of mind is the understanding that there is a difference between the self and others.[1] It’s the ability to consider what other people might think and feel in a certain situation, as well as that other people have different beliefs, thoughts and feelings. This develops in early childhood and your toddler will start to understand that other people have different points of view.
New research has explored how neurons will help our understanding
The development of theory of mind is an area that has been studied by many researchers.[2] Previous studies have shown which brain regions are more active during theory of mind.
Yet interestingly, a very small study, carried out in 2021, focused on the role of neurons in the region of the brain known to support social understanding, and how the neurons in this area contribute to theory of mind.
The study is the first of its kind and it has identified specific neurons that are critical for social reasoning.[3]
According to this research, there are specific neurons which process information linked to different aspects of theory of mind.
This study found that information carried by certain neurons seemed to be specific to understanding things from another’s perspective.[3] For example, these neurons were found to solely process information about other people’s beliefs, assessing whether what they’d been told was true or false.[3]
There’s lots more questions to be answered about this, like when in development do these neurons start encoding specific information, and how does the development of theory of mind progress? But this new research might start to shed light on the more intricate details of this social, cognitive process.
But what does this mean for my toddler?
What is certain is that it will take many years for your toddler to develop theory of mind, and research suggests that it starts with a desire to understand the behaviour of others.[4] It may start with them beginning to appreciate the wants, feelings and preferences of other people.
For instance, your toddler may recognise what makes you happy or know that you thought the food was yummy, because of your body language and expression on your face.
How can I help them develop theory of mind?
For now though, playing and talking with your toddler about what they think other people, pets, toys and characters in books are thinking and feeling will give them a huge boost in their development.
Recalling past events will also help your toddler put themselves in the minds of others. For example, you might say, “Do you remember when we talked to Aunty Misbah about coming to our house to play? She thought that was a great idea. Can you remember what she wanted to play with?”
If your toddler can remember, say, “That’s right, she wanted to make some dough as she likes getting her hands sticky and gooey, just like you!”
If they can’t, rephrase it to something like, “I wonder whether she said would like to make dough as she likes doing things that are sticky and gooey.”
References:
[1] Wittmer, D. (2012). The wonder and complexity of infant and toddler peer relationships. Young Children, September 2012, 16-25.
[2] Beaudoin, C., Leblanc, É., Gagner, C., Beauchamp, M.H.(2020) Systematic Review and Inventory of Theory of Mind Measures for Young Children. Frontiers in Psychology.
[3] MGH News and Public Affairs. (2021) Theory of Mind. Neurons responsible for complex social reasoning identified. Harvard Medical School.
[4] UK Essays. (2015) The Development of Theory of Mind in Children.