Theory of Mind: what is it and what does it explain to us?

When we think of all those mental faculties that are characteristic of the human being and of no other species, it is very easy to think of the language, the ability to learn all kinds of things or the ability to solve complex mathematical problems.

These are easily observable human characteristics, but they are not the only ones that we enjoy exclusively. There is another, much more discreet, thanks to which our social relationships are richer. This ability has been called Theory of mind.

What is the Theory of Mind?

Generally defined, Theory of Mind is the ability to be aware of the differences between one's own point of view and that of others.

In other words, this faculty makes it possible for us to take into account the mental states of other subjects without assuming that these ideas or thoughts are like those of oneself. A person who has developed Theory of Mind can attribute ideas, desires and beliefs to the rest of the agents with whom he interacts. And all this automatically, almost unconsciously.

A hierarchy of mental states

Too often we are exposed to situations where we have to imagine what someone else is thinking. In turn, this person can assume, from the information he has about us, what we think you are thinking, and all this can also be inferred by us and the other person in a loop theoretically infinite. A hierarchy of mental states that contain each other: I believe that you believe that I believe…

The Theory of Mind ranks second in this hierarchy (I think you believe this), and It is the seed from which the ability to progress towards the rest of the categories is born. complex.

How is the Theory of Mind developed? The 4-year-old threshold

Human beings are probably the only species in which its members can think of others as intentional agents, that is, beings with their own interests. This means that from a very young age, the vast majority of humans are able to distinguish between an action and the target that action is aimed at, even if the latter has not been revealed clearly. What's more, within a few months of life, all people learn to take into account where others are focusing their attention, and therefore can claim that attention for oneself or towards something that is nearby.

These changes in the cognitive development of babies begin towards the end of the first year of age and are part of what is known as the nine month revolution, from which emanate skills that are built on top of each other and promote the creation of complex social behaviors, such as simulated play, which requires understanding that the other is acting by using a banana as if it were a telephone, or imitation, in which the child learns from the adult's actions and is able to figure out the goal of each of the movements that she is watching.

Theory of Mind appears around 4 years of age and is built on the foundations of all these capacities derived from the nine-month revolution, but it intervenes in more abstract and refined mental processes. Thus, all those people who develop Theory of Mind think of others not only as agents intentional, but also as mental agents, with a whole series of complex psychological states that are own. Among these new mental states that are attributed to others are, for example, desires and beliefs.

The false belief experiment

The classic method to find out if a child has developed Theory of Mind is the false belief test. This is a test that can only be solved correctly if you are able to differentiate your own knowledge about the environment from what another person believes about it. In addition, it is an exercise that can be used to help detect cases of Autism Spectrum Disorders, since people who manifest symptoms associated with autism tend to show little or no developed Theory of Mind.

In an example of this test, the psychologist manipulates two dolls to form a short narrative in which everything happens under the watchful eye of the child being tested. First, the first doll shows a toy and then shows how he keeps it in a nearby trunk. Then the doll disappears from the scene and the second doll appears, taking the toy out of the trunk and putting it in, for example, a backpack resting on the ground. At that moment, the child is asked: "When the first doll enters the room again, what is the first place that he will look for the toy?"

Normally, children under the age of four will fail to give an answer, because they will believe that the first doll has the same information as them and will go to look first at the backpack. However, with four years most of them already give a correct answer, evidence that they have made the transition to Theory of Mind and that they have abandoned a ratherself-centered.

A small documentary to better understand this theory

Below you can see a video that shows an example of a false belief test applied to the detection of the Theory of Mind: