Making Minds: How Theory of Mind Develops

by Henry M. Wellman

Overview

Developmental psychologists coined the term "theory of mind" to describe how we understand our shifting mental states in daily life. Over the past twenty years researchers have provided rich, provocative data showing that from an early age, children develop a sophisticated and consistent "theory of mind" by attributing their desires, beliefs, and emotions to themselves and to others. Remarkably, infants barely a few months old are able to attend closely to other humans; two-year-olds can articulate the desires and feelings of others and comfort those in distress; and three- and four-year-olds can talk about thoughts abstractly and engage in lies and trickery.

This book provides a deeper examination of how "theory of mind" develops. Building on his pioneering research in The Child's Theory of Mind (1990), Henry M. Wellman reports on all that we have learned in the past twenty years with chapters on evolution and the brain bases of theory of mind, and updated explanations of theory theory and later theoretical developments, including how children conceive of extraordinary minds such as those belonging to superheroes or supernatural beings. Engaging and accessibly written, Wellman's work will appeal especially to scholars and students working in psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, and social cognition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199334919
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/06/2014
Series:	Oxford Series in Cognitive Development
Pages:	378
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Henry M. Wellman is Research Professor at the Center for Human Growth and Development and Harold W. Stevenson Collegiate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. He has written more than 100 research articles and several books including The Child's Theory of Mind (1990). He is a past-president of the Cognitive Development Society, a recipient of an NIH MERIT Award, and the 2012 recipient of the American Psychological Association's G. Stanley Hall Award. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Karen Lind and has two sons, Ned and Daniel.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Theory of Mind, Development, and Foundational Human Cognition

Chapter 1. Developing a Theory of Mind: Initial Overview
Chapter 2. Preschool Theory of Mind, Part 1: Universal Belief-Desire Understanding
Chapter 3. Real-World Consequences: Social Action
Chapter 4. Preschool Theory of Mind, Part 2: Desires, Emotions, and Perceptions
Chapter 5. Extended Progressions in Understanding Theory of Mind
Chapter 6. Theory Theory: Reconstructing Constructivism
Chapter 7. Alternatives and Extensions
Chapter 8. Infants, Actions, and Mental States
Chapter 9. Origins and Development
Chapter 10. Evolution, Chimps, and Dogs
Chapter 11. The Social Brain: Neural Regions Developed for Theory of Mind
Chapter 12. Searching, Learning, and Listening: Exploration, Pedagogy, and Testimony
Chapter 13. Further Developments: Minds and Brains, Gods and Souls
Chapter 14. The Landscape of the Mind

Editorial Reviews

Winner of the Cognitive Development Society Book Award (2014)

From the Publisher