THREE FUNDAMENTAL DISCUSSIONS IN THE FIELD OF THE THEORY OF MIND: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze three of the most representative debates in the field of development of children’s Theory of Mind (ToM). This paper will discuss the following topics: 1) the term ToM (Premack & Woodruff, 1978; Reddy, 2008; Wellman 1990/1995); 2) the cognitive mechanisms involved in understanding ToM (Perner, 1991/1994; Leslie, 1987, 1994, Reddy, 2008); and 3) the tasks used to measure ToM (Chandler, Fritz & Hala, 1989; Reddy, 2008, Wimmer & Perner, 1983). The findings point to a questioning of the term, a broader view of the theories underlying cognitive mechanisms and a critical stand of the approaches used in these studies.