Theory of mind(ToM)

•Benson et al.1993 Ability to reason about mental states (Moores&Frye, 1991; Perner, 1991; Wellman, 1985)

First-order reasonning: reasoning about anotherperson representation of the world

Second-order reasonning: reasoning about another ’srepresentation of yet another person ’srepresentation of the world

Theory of mind

•Scott & Baron-Cohen, 1996:Ability to attribute the range of intentional states:(beliefs, intentions, desires, etc.) to agents, by wayof explaining and predicting an agent ’s actionsDennet, 1978; Premack & Woodruff, 1978

•Tager-Flusberg & Sullivan, 1995:Ability to interpret one ’s own and others ’ action ascausally linked to representational and other kinds ofmental states(Bruner, 1986 « landscape of consciousness »)

•Perner, Frith, Leslie & Leekman (1989):Ability to conceive of mental states in oneselfand othersAbility to attribute false beliefs

Factors involving a lack of ToM:• difficulties in appreciation of bodily

expression of feeling states;• difficulties in use of gesture to express

mental states• difficulties with the pragmatics of

langage (joint attention, old/new info.)

Theory of mind

Histoire de 1Histoire de 1erer niveau niveau(Benson et al. 1993, adaptée de Hogrefe et al.

1986)

Histoire de 1Histoire de 1erer niveau niveau(Benson et al. 1993, adaptée de

Hogrefe et al. 1986)

First-order storyOne day, Sylvester the Cat and Daffy Duck are in the palyground. Sylvester is playing with his skateboard. Soon he sees Tweety Bird ’s house. He says « I  ’m going to hide my skateboard under the picnic table ». So he hides his skateboard under the picnic table. Then Sylvester says to Daffy, « Don ’t play with my skateboard while I ’m gone ». Then he goes to Tweety ’s birdhouse. (Content-Q1:Where did Sylvester hide the skateboard?)(Content-Q2: Where did Sylbester go when he left the playground?)now Daffy is alone in the playground because Sylvester is in Tweety ’s bird house. Sylvester cannot see what Daffy is doing […]. Daffy is mad at Sylvester for telling him not to play with the skateboard. Daffy decides to play a trick on Sylvester. Daffy takes the skateboard out from under the picnic table […]and hides it under the teeter-totter. (Content-Q3: Where did Daffy hide the skateboard?) […] Sylvester comes back to the playground to play with his skateboard.

Second-order storyEpisode 1

One day, Sylvester is on his way to school when he sees Tweety Bird and Goofy in the park. Goofy is selling cookies from his cookie cart. Sylvester wants to buy a cookie, but he doesn ’t have time because he ’s late for school. […] Goofy says to Sylvester « You can come back to the park after school and buy my cookie after school. I ’ll be here in the park all day long ».« Then I ’ll come back to the park after school and buy a cookie. » says Sylvester. (Content-Q1: Where would Sylvester go to look for the cookie cart?).Now, only Tweety bird and Goofy are in the park. Goofer is eating the cookies from the cart. Soon all the cookies are gone, the cart is emplty. Goofy says, « Oh! My cookie cart is empty. Time to go ». Where are you going Goofy? » « I ’m taking my cookie cart back to the cookie store. I ’m going to stay at the cookie store. I ’ll stay at the cookie store the rest of the day » says Goofy.(Content-Q2: What did Goofy tells Tweety bird?)

Second-order story

Episode 2Tweety bird says goodbye to Goofy. Tweety bird goes back to Love

Street. Goofy takes his cookie cart and leaves the park. On the way he passes the school. Sylvester […] sees Goofy. « Where are you going? » says Sylvester.« I ’m taking my cookie cart back to the cookie store. I ’ll stay at the cookie store with my cart the rest of the day. » says Goofy. « Oh, I  ’m so glad that I know that now. » (Content-Q3: Where did Tweety bird go? Content-Q4: What did Goofy tell Sylvester when he saw him at school?)

Episode 3Then Goofy goes to the cookie store. He takes the cookie cart into the

store. (Content-Q5: Where would Sylvester look for the cookie cart?

Histoire de 2ième niveau(Benson et al. 1993,adapté de

Hogrefe et al., 1986)

A

Histoire de 2Histoire de 2ièmeième niveau niveau(Benson et al. 1993,adapté de

Hogrefe et al., 1986)

AB

A B

Histoire de 2Histoire de 2ièmeième niveau niveau(Benson et al. 1993,adapté de

Hogrefe et al., 1986)

A B

A

Q-d ’Ignorance:Est-ce que Sylvester-le-chat sait où se

trouve cachée sa planche à rouler?

Rép: Non

Q-Croyance erronée:Où Sylvester-le-chat cherchera sa planche

à rouler?

Histoire de 1 er niveau

Histoire de 1 er niveau

Q-Justification:Pourquoi est-ce que tu penses que

Sylvester-le-chat ira chercher sa planche à rouler (à

l ’endroit qu ’a mentionné l ’enfant)?

Q-Connaisance:Est-ce que Daffy-le-canard sait où

setrouve la planche à rouler en ce moment?

Rép: Oui

Q-d ’Ignorance:Est-ce que Tweetie bird sait que

Sylvester connaît l ’emplacement du biscuit en ce moment?Rép: Non

Q-Croyance erronée:Où tweetie bird pense que Sylvester

ira chercher le biscuit?

Rép: Tweetie pense que Sylvester ira chercher le biscuit à son endroit d ’origine (A).

Histoire de 2 ème niveau

Q-Justification:Pourquoi tweetie bird pense que Sylvester

ira voir (à l ’endroit qu ’a mentionné l ’enfant) pour chercher son biscuit?

Q- Connaissance:Est-ce que Goofy connaît l ’endroit

où se trouve le biscuit?

Histoire de 2 ème niveau