Developmental continuity in coordination of perspectives as an alternative to the implicit and explicit theory of mind controversy.

Abstract

The dichotomy between explicit and implicit theory of mind remains controversial. This study proposed a developmental and social-constructionist perspective that challenges this notion through a model showing that coordination of perspectives (CoP) is a continuously developing ability in children. Our tested model comprises eight distinct abilities that emerge sequentially. We tested our model using 25 different tasks in a longitudinal six-wave study with 300 native Polish children aged from 1 year (M T1 = 1 year 0 months; SD T1 = 1.73 weeks; 44% girls) to 3.5 years (M T6 = 3 years 6 months; SD T6 = 1.81 weeks; 45% girls). All children were Caucasian; both parents of 54% children had university degree. Structural equation modeling with factor scores for each of the eight abilities was used to verify the fit of obtained data. We provide preliminary support for distinguishing six abilities: (a) immediate social perspective-tracking and taking at age of 1 year, (b) deferred social perspective-tracking and visual perspective-taking as an intermediate step at age of 2 years, and (c) epistemic perspective-tracking and taking at 3.5 years. Using our new nomenclature -emphasizing the function of coordination of own and another person perspective in social situations-we found that development of mindreading begins when infants coordinate their bodily-expressed orientations with those of others, and by the age of 4 is manifested by coordinating own and others mental states. Thus, we support the idea of heterotypic continuity of mindreading development. Development of CoP and difference between perspective-tracking and taking should be further elucidated.

Is there continuity from implicit recognition of intentional action in infants to explicit mindreading in preschoolers? Systematic review of longitudinal evidence and theoretical implications ( ¿Hay continuidad entre el reconocimiento implícito de la acción intencional en bebés y la lectura de mente explícita en preescolares? Revisión sistemática de la evidencia longitudinal e implicaciones teóricas )

“…The authors share Tomasello's (2018Tomasello's ( , 2019 perspective that mindreading emerges and develops via increasingly complex perspective coordination in triadic joint-attention processes (babies, caregivers and objects). Perspective is the way an agent sees or addresses something from a given attentional, conative, affective, visual and conceptional or epistemic point of view (Białecka-Pikul & Białek, 2021). One's own and others' perspectives can be coordinated in intersubjective interaction processes, which implies the ability to capture and follow someone's point of view and adopt others' points of view (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2022;Tomasello, 2018).…”

“…Thus, the study focused on analysing the main functions in mindreading capacities, that is, perspective coordination and episodes of joint interactive attention between children, agents and objects. The term perspective is assumed to be the main feature of all psychological activity underlying the ability to track, follow, adopt, ascribe or reason about other agents' behaviours and mental states (Białecka-Pikul & Białek, 2021). The empirical structural equation model showed that immediate social perspective-taking at 12 and 18 months (β = .13, p < .01) and tracking deferred social perspective at 18 months (β = .15, p < .01) predicted visual perspective-taking at 24 and 30 months, while the latter had a predictive effect on epistemic perspective-taking at 36 months (β = .32, p < .001) and epistemic perspective-tracking at 42 months (β = .20, p < .001).…”

“…Longitudinal data reveal that mindreading is a broad concept that implies different graduated, hierarchical and situated socio-cognitive processes which are constantly changing and evolving. Thus, the dichotomy between implicit and explicit, preconceptual and conceptual, preverbal and verbal may potentially be limited in explaining the richness of the continuity of the development of mindreading in children (Białecka-Pikul & Białek, 2021); therefore, it is imperative to take a broader stance based on early social interaction processes (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2019;Köster & Kärtner, 2018;Reddy, 2003Reddy, , 2008Tomasello, 2018), which is also consistent with DET (Carruthers, 2016;Sodian, 2016). Nonetheless, an approach based on perspective coordination in the different domains of interaction and shared intentionality avoids these controversial dichotomies and implies a standpoint that integrates the attentional, conative, affective, visual and conceptual-epistemic determinants in the development and continuity of mindreading (Białecka-Pikul & Białek, 2021).…”

“…A esta capacidad para comprender que el comportamiento está dirigido a objetivos y que los demás tienen estados mentales se le conoce bajo diferentes términos, como teoría de la mente, mentalización, comprensión intencional o lectura de mentes (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2022). En este trabajo se utilizará el término de lectura de mentes porque es conceptualmente más neutral que el de teoría de la mente (Apperly, 2010;Białecka-Pikul & Białek, 2021). Sin embargo, es un término que se debe utilizar con cautela dada sus implicaciones ontológicas al sugerir que se 'lee' 'algo' en las 'mentes' de los demás.…”

“…This ability to understand others' mental states is known by different terms, such as theory of mind, mentalization, intentional understanding and mindreading (Białecka-Pikul et al, 2022). In this study, we use the term mindreading because it is conceptually more neutral than theory of mind (Apperly, 2010;Białecka-Pikul & Białek, 2021). However, it is a term that should be used with caution given its ontological implications, in that it suggests that 'something' in others' 'minds' is 'read'.…”