Mental files: Developmental integration of dual naming and theory of mind

Abstract

We use mental files theory to provide an integral theory of children's diverse dual naming problems and why these problems are overcome when children pass the false belief test. When an object is encountered under different appearances or given different verbal labels, two distinct representations (mental files) may be deployed for that single object. The resulting files refer to the same object but capture different perspectives on the object. Such coreferential files can thus be used to represent people's differing perspectives (e.g., belief). Typically the existence of different files indicates the existence of two separate objects. To mark that only a single object is involved, coreferential files need to be linked. Development of the ability to link files provides a powerful developmental explanation for success on dual labelling and perspective tasks at the same age, around 4 years: processing identity statements, overcoming mutual exclusivity (accepting different labels for an object), visual perspective taking, and understanding differences of belief. Mental files also provide a new framework for understanding conceptual pacts and their relation to mutual exclusivity in children and adults.

Children’s Signaling of Incomprehension: The Diagnosticity of Practice Questions During Interview Instructions

“…The distinctions between hearing and knowing on the one hand and understanding on the other are analogous to a classic distinction that originated in work on visual perspective-taking (Flavell, Everett et al, 1981) and has been broadened to explain a diverse group of findings concerning children’s theory of mind abilities (Doherty & Perner, 2020). At level 1, the child understands the distinction between seeing and not seeing an object, whereas at level 2 the child understands that different people interpret the same object in different ways (e.g., a picture viewed from different perspectives will appear right side up to one person but upside down to another).…”

Social Cognition, Self-Perceptions, and Social Withdrawal in Adolescents

“…Our findings suggest that ToM ability may be of greater use in the creation of self-scripts or schemas for shy children, that is, in terms of emotional scripts and mental files theory (Doherty & Perner, 2020), youth with high levels of emotion recognition and preference for solitude may be more likely to have a complicated mental file theory that provides multiple names for the same object (individuating label, conceptual and perceptual information). For instance, take the term 'friend', a shy teenager with high levels of emotion recognition skills may have more mental files with positive and negative characteristics (e.g., a friend is a kind person, a friend may try to sabotage my success, a friend may lie to me, etc.)…”

“…Similar to the first growth spurt of self-consciousness and social awareness (toddlerhood) (Dunn, 2005), the second wave of psychosocial growth in social and self-understanding and social relations occurs in early adolescence (Koch et al, 2020;Vanhalst et al, 2015). This second 'growth spurt' includes advanced mentalisation skills, such as emotion recognition and perspective-taking, crucial components of social cognition that enable individuals to discriminate effectively between social cues, interact with others, and constitute social groups (Doherty & Perner, 2020). Such social skills are valuable in the process of social interactions and help youth to decide whether to avoid or approach others in social situations.…”

“…As part of the constellation or network of skills that make up social cognition, such as emotion recognition and perspective-taking (Wellman, 2014;2020), the theory of mind is the understanding that people's observable actions are motivated by their mental states, including their intentions, emotions, beliefs, and desires (Doherty & Perner, 2020). Subtle differences in using the theory of mind understandings, or 'the ability to read others' mind,' particularly the ability to identify emotions in others by viewing one's eyes has been found to help all ages of individuals (from a young child to adult) to make appropriate and accurate judgements about others' mental states (Viana et al, 2020).…”

Pragmatics in the False-Belief Task: Let the Robot Ask the Question!

“…See for a recent argument in favor of this hypothesis(Doherty and Perner, 2020).Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org…”