How language relates to belief, desire, and emotion understanding

By T. Ruffman, L. Slade, Kate Rowlandson, C. Rumsey, Alan Garnham. 2003

216 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Two experiments examined syntax and semantics as correlates of theory-of-mind (ToM). In Experiment 1 children’s language was examined at 3 years of age in relation to ToM at 3, 3.5, 4, and 5.5 years. Semantics predicted unique variance in later belief understanding but not desire understanding. Syntax did not explain unique variance in belief or desire. In Experiment 2 two measures of syntax and a measure of semantics were used with 65 3–5-year-olds. The syntax measures tested children’s understanding of word order and embedded clauses. They were related to false belief, but contrary to some predictions, were also related to emotion recognition. Performance on language control tasks with low syntactic demands correlated equally well with false belief. In both experiments performance on the syntax and semantics tasks was highly inter-correlated. We argue that ToM is related to general language ability rather than syntax or semantics per se.

Subfields: Developmental and Educational Psychology, Pharmacy

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5d25e308529028f98a7ce0f81eb163deb2e12621

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In Developmental and Educational Psychology

In Pharmacy

T. Ruffman

Citations in the corpus

Mindful storytellers: Emerging pragmatics and theory of mind development (2013, background): “It is quite possible that correlations between ToM performance and language reflect shared variance among these aspects of linguistic development (Ruffman et al., 2003).”
How language does (and does not) relate to theory of mind: A longitudinal study of syntax, semantics, working memory and false belief (2005, background): “Cross-lagging is particularly important in this case, moreover, because of the potential confound between the measure of complement understanding and false belief understanding (Ruffman et al., 2003).”
Language and theory of mind: meta-analysis of the relation between language ability and false-belief understanding. (2007, methodology): “…(2001)FStudy 1 59 Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – Revised (Sentence Structure Subtest) Change-of-location Unexpected-identity Other .14 Ruffman et al. (2001)FStudy 2 65 British Picture Vocabulary Scale Embedded Syntax Task Word Order Syntax Task Change-of-location…”
The Role of Language in Theory of Mind Development. (2014, background): “What can be done for a child who is seriously lacking in the language for mental events? We have lots of evidence about the kinds of language environments and exposure that stimulate ToM development in typically developing children and account in part for the range of variation seen in their develop”