Difference between revisions of "Theory of Mind"
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==Theory of Mind and ASD== | ==Theory of Mind and ASD== | ||
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The idea that children with ASD lack a 'Theory of Mind' was first postulated by Baron-Cohen et. al.<sup>2</sup> in 1985, on the basis that autistic children, regardless of IQ, do not engage in pretend play. It is this theory of mind, or the ability to understand that others have feelings and beliefs that may be different from your own, that is crucial for the emergence of pretend play in developing children. Baron-Cohen et. al. tested this hypothesis using a false-belief test. They found that while some ASD children were able to pass the test, the vast majority of the ASD group did not. These group results were significant when compared with control groups. They hypothesized that having this theory of mind was crucial in social behavior and communication, and that correspondingly the social deficits seen in ASD children are a result of their lack of a 'Theory of Mind'.<sup>2</sup> | The idea that children with ASD lack a 'Theory of Mind' was first postulated by Baron-Cohen et. al.<sup>2</sup> in 1985, on the basis that autistic children, regardless of IQ, do not engage in pretend play. It is this theory of mind, or the ability to understand that others have feelings and beliefs that may be different from your own, that is crucial for the emergence of pretend play in developing children. Baron-Cohen et. al. tested this hypothesis using a false-belief test. They found that while some ASD children were able to pass the test, the vast majority of the ASD group did not. These group results were significant when compared with control groups. They hypothesized that having this theory of mind was crucial in social behavior and communication, and that correspondingly the social deficits seen in ASD children are a result of their lack of a 'Theory of Mind'.<sup>2</sup> | ||
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Some recent studies involving children with autism have shown that these children have rest functional abnormalities centered in the STS and the superior temporal gyrus using PET and SPECT. Additionally, significant negative correlation has been shown between regional rest cerebral blood flow and the scores of ASD children on the ADI-R. Furthermore, in theory of mind studies where subjects watched a virtual actor either look towards a checkerboard that appeared in her visual field vs. the empty space, typically developing subjects showed more activity in the STS when the actor looked at the empty space which signifies that the subjects had formulated an expectation about what the actor should do in that context, while subjects with ASD showed no difference in activity levels between the two trials. <sup>1</sup> | Some recent studies involving children with autism have shown that these children have rest functional abnormalities centered in the STS and the superior temporal gyrus using PET and SPECT. Additionally, significant negative correlation has been shown between regional rest cerebral blood flow and the scores of ASD children on the ADI-R. Furthermore, in theory of mind studies where subjects watched a virtual actor either look towards a checkerboard that appeared in her visual field vs. the empty space, typically developing subjects showed more activity in the STS when the actor looked at the empty space which signifies that the subjects had formulated an expectation about what the actor should do in that context, while subjects with ASD showed no difference in activity levels between the two trials. <sup>1</sup> | ||
====Criticisms==== | ====Criticisms==== | ||
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+ | <table border = 1 cellpadding = 5> | ||
+ | <tr><th></th><th>related brain structures</th><th>Genetics</td></tr> | ||
+ | <tr><td>Theory of Mind</td><td>right medial prefrontal cortex<br>right anterior cingulate cortex<br>right middle frontal gyrus<br>right dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex</td></tr> | ||
+ | </table> | ||
Scores on Theory of Mind(TOM) tasks tend to vary greatly across cultures. Studies on Japanese children, for example, show that this population has poor performance on this task. It has been theorized that the differences in performance between cultures are attributed to difference in attribution styles between American/European and Asian cultures. People raised in Asian cultures tend to attribute behaviors to external and contextual causes while American/European cultures tend to attribute behaviors to internal causes.<sup>4</sup> | Scores on Theory of Mind(TOM) tasks tend to vary greatly across cultures. Studies on Japanese children, for example, show that this population has poor performance on this task. It has been theorized that the differences in performance between cultures are attributed to difference in attribution styles between American/European and Asian cultures. People raised in Asian cultures tend to attribute behaviors to external and contextual causes while American/European cultures tend to attribute behaviors to internal causes.<sup>4</sup> |
Revision as of 12:40, 1 February 2010
Contents
Theory of Mind and ASD
- History
The idea that children with ASD lack a 'Theory of Mind' was first postulated by Baron-Cohen et. al.2 in 1985, on the basis that autistic children, regardless of IQ, do not engage in pretend play. It is this theory of mind, or the ability to understand that others have feelings and beliefs that may be different from your own, that is crucial for the emergence of pretend play in developing children. Baron-Cohen et. al. tested this hypothesis using a false-belief test. They found that while some ASD children were able to pass the test, the vast majority of the ASD group did not. These group results were significant when compared with control groups. They hypothesized that having this theory of mind was crucial in social behavior and communication, and that correspondingly the social deficits seen in ASD children are a result of their lack of a 'Theory of Mind'.2
- Theory
The Theory of Mind is the ability for a person to connect emotional states to themselves and others. It is intimately connected with the development of a person's ability to analyze and interpret the intentions of others.These abilities are impaired in people with ASD and are central to social perception. 1
Some recent studies involving children with autism have shown that these children have rest functional abnormalities centered in the STS and the superior temporal gyrus using PET and SPECT. Additionally, significant negative correlation has been shown between regional rest cerebral blood flow and the scores of ASD children on the ADI-R. Furthermore, in theory of mind studies where subjects watched a virtual actor either look towards a checkerboard that appeared in her visual field vs. the empty space, typically developing subjects showed more activity in the STS when the actor looked at the empty space which signifies that the subjects had formulated an expectation about what the actor should do in that context, while subjects with ASD showed no difference in activity levels between the two trials. 1
Criticisms
related brain structures | Genetics</td> |
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