Psychological Development and Education ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (3): 305-315.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2024.03.01

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A Microgenetic Study of Theory of Mind in Children Aged 3~4 Years

LIU Jianrong1, CHEN Qingxin1, TONG Ning2   

  1. 1. School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350108;
    2. School of Art, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300
  • Published:2024-05-15

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Abstract: This study was intended to further explore the characteristics and mechanisms of the development of the Theory of Mind (ToM) in preschool children. Based on microgenetic design, the study involved 63 children aged 3~4 years who failed in false-belief tasks. The purpose was to investigate the rate, sources, transfer, and patterns of ToM evolution and identify the changing characteristics of types of interpretation. The results showed that both feedback without explanations and feedback with explanations were the sources of ToM development. Furthermore, the process of development was gradual and fluctuating; the change was first rapid and then gradual. Moreover, the findings suggested that children who had been trained to improve their ToM skills would promote cognitive transfer ability, and their ability to explain false-belief problems would also be developed.

Key words: theory of mind, false belief, microgenetic method, training, preschool children

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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