Modelling the executive components involved in processing false belief and mechanical/intentional sequences

Tsuji, Hiromi; Mitchell, Peter

Abstract

To understand the executive demands of the false-belief (FB) task relative to an alternative theory-of-mind (or mechanical causality) task, picture sequencing, the present study used path analyses. 166 children between 3 and 6 years old completed the FB and picture-sequencing tasks, three executive function tasks (updating, inhibition and shifting) and the receptive language test. The model with the best fit indicated that FB performance had a direct contribution from shifting of attention and inhibitory control, which was independent of the significant contribution made by picture sequencing. This model indicates that FB inference requires more executive processing than picture sequencing, which is used as an alternative task to measure theory-of-mind.

Citation

Tsuji, H., & Mitchell, P. (2019). Modelling the executive components involved in processing false belief and mechanical/intentional sequences. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 37(2), 184-198. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12266

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 22, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Sep 10, 2018
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Sep 5, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 11, 2019
• Journal: British Journal of Developmental Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0261-510X
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-835X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 184-198
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12266
• Keywords: Theory of mind; Mentalising; Executive functions; Picture-sequencing task; False-belief task
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1060647
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjdp.12266