Not just a sum of its parts: How tasks of the theory of mind scale relate to executive function across time

Doenyas, Ceymi; Yavuz, H. Melis; Selçuk, Bilge

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2017.09.014

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…The frontal lobe is also thought to be involved in ToM [69]. However, frontal lobe damage does not necessarily result in impairments in ToM [20] and inhibition is increasingly recognised as important for ToM [23, 24] and Doenyas et al [26]. Therefore, we argue that our patients' deficits on our tests of ToM may be explained by their impairments in inhibition associated with the known frontal lobe damage in PD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In particular, there is mounting evidence to suggest that the executive function of inhibition is crucial for performance on ToM tests. Several studies have found inhibition to be highly correlated with and predictive of performance on ToM tests in children [23–25] and adults [26]. In keeping with this, closer inspection of the aforementioned reports of preserved ToM with impaired executive functions reveals that this occurred in the presence of intact performance the Stroop Colour Word Test of inhibition [20] or in the absence of any measure of inhibition [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 72%

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Impairment in Theory of Mind in Parkinson’s Disease Is Explained by Deficits in Inhibition

Foley

Lancaster

Poznyak

et al. 2019

Parkinson's Disease

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Objective. Several studies have reported that people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) perform poorly on tests of ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM), suggesting impairment in the ability to understand and infer other people’s thoughts and feelings. However, few studies have sought to separate the processes involved in social reasoning from those involved in managing the inhibitory demands on these tests. In this study, we investigated the contribution of inhibition to ToM performance in PD. Methods. 18 PD patients and 22 age-matched healthy controls performed a ToM test that separates the ability to infer someone else’s perspective from the ability to inhibit one’s own. Participants also completed a battery of standard measures of social and executive functioning, including measures of inhibition. Results. The PD patients performed worse on the ToM test only when the inhibitory demands were high. When the level of inhibition required was reduced, there were no significant group differences. Furthermore, executive impairments in PD patients were limited to measures of inhibition, with disadvantages associated with poorer ToM performance in this group. Conclusions. This study provides convincing evidence that the apparent impairment observed on ToM tests in PD is explained by deficits in inhibition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Impairment in Theory of Mind in Parkinson’s Disease Is Explained by Deficits in Inhibition

Foley

Lancaster

Poznyak

et al. 2019

Parkinson's Disease

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“…Only a small number of studies have looked at the relationship between executive functions and conceptual change in other domains, especially during childhood. For instance, measures of inhibition have been shown to predict false-belief understanding, a component of theory of mind [69], and a composite of executive functions tasks have been associated with children’s understanding of vitalist biology (understanding of life, death, and body functions) [70]. Using assessments that tap into conceptual understandings [71,72], future studies could explore more comprehensively the role of executive functions in mathematical knowledge, not only in childhood but in adolescence as well.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contributions of executive functions to mathematical learning difficulties and mathematical talent during adolescence

et al. 2018

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Are mathematical learning difficulties caused by impairment of the abilities that underlie mathematical talent? Or are mathematical difficulties and talent qualitatively different? The main goal of this study was to determine whether mathematical learning difficulties are explained by the same executive functions as mathematical talent. We screened a pool of 2,682 first-year high school students and selected 48 for evaluation, dividing them into three groups: those with mathematical learning difficulties (n = 16), those with typical performance (n = 16), and those with mathematical talent (n = 16). Adolescents from the learning difficulties and talented groups had age, reading skills, and verbal and non-verbal intelligence that were similar to those of the typical performance group. Participants were administered a suite of tasks to evaluate verbal and visual short-term memory and executive functions of inhibition, shifting, and updating. Different executive functions showed different contributions at the two ends of the math ability continuum: lower levels of performance in updating visual information were related to mathematical learning difficulties, while greater shifting abilities were related to mathematical talent. Effect sizes for the differences in performance between groups were large (Hedges' g > 0.8). These results suggest that different executive functions are associated with mathematical learning difficulties and mathematical talent. We discuss how these differences in executive functions could be related to the different types of mathematical abilities that distinguish the three groups.

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“…The link between EFs and ToM has been consistently demonstrated across the lifespan, from early childhood [Cole & Mitchell, 2000;Doenyas, Yavuz, & Selcuk, 2018;Fahie & Symons, 2003;Fisher, Happé, & Dunn, 2005;Gao, Huang, Zhang, & Chen, 2019;Gordon & Olson, 1998;Hughes, 1998a;Hughes & Graham, 2002;Joseph & Tager-Flusberg, 2004;Marcovitch et al, 2015;Powell & Carey, 2017], middle childhood [Bock, Gallaway, & Hund, 2015;Kouklari, Tsermentseli, & Auyeung, 2018;Kouklari, Tsermentseli, & Monks, 2019;Lecce et al, 2019;Wilson, Andrews, Hogan, Wang, & Shum, 2018], through adulthood [Ahmed & Miller, 2011;Bradford et al, 2015;Bull, Phillips, & Conway, 2008;German & Hehman, 2006;McKinnon & Moscovitch, 2007;Saltzman, Strauss, Hunter, & Archibald, 2000], both in Western and non-Western cultures [Sabbagh, Xu, Carlson, Moses, & Lee, 2006]. Longitudinal studies have consistently found that EFs predict ToM over time [Austin, Groppe, & Elsner, 2014;Carlson, Mandell, & Williams, 2004;Derksen, Hunsche, Giroux, Connolly, & Bernstein, 2018;Doenyas et al, 2018;Hughes, 1998b;Kouklari et al, 2019;Lecce, Bianco, Devine, & Hughes, 2017;Marcovitch et al, 2015]. A recent study took an experimental, rather than correlational, approach to understanding the role of EFs in ToM in children 4-5 years of age [Powell & Carey, 2017].…”

Section: Tom and Executive Functioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive processes predicting advanced theory of mind in the broader autism phenotype

et al. 2019

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Little is known about executive functions (EFs) associated with advanced theory of mind (ToM) abilities. We aimed to determine if advanced ToM abilities were reduced in individuals with subclinical traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), known as the “Broader Autism Phenotype” (BAP), and identify the EFs that predicted unimpaired performance on an advanced ToM task, the faux pas test. We assessed 29 participants (13 males) with the BAP who were relatives of children with ASD. Thirteen participants showed reduced ability to understand a faux pas. A discriminant function analysis correctly classified 79% of cases as impaired or unimpaired, with high sensitivity (80%) and specificity (77%), which was best predicted by language‐mediated EFs, including verbal generativity, working memory, cognitive inhibition, and flexibility. Autism Res 2020, 13: 921‐934. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary Little is known about the complex cognitive processes that enable accurate interpretation of another person's thoughts and emotions, known as “theory of mind.” In relatives of individuals with autism, who had mild traits of autism themselves, approximately half had difficulty interpreting situations involving a social faux pas. Cognitive inhibition and flexibility, working memory, and verbal generativity were related to, and appeared to be protective for, unimpaired understanding of a faux pas.

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Not just a sum of its parts: How tasks of the theory of mind scale relate to executive function across time

Cited by 18 publications

References 74 publications

Impairment in Theory of Mind in Parkinson’s Disease Is Explained by Deficits in Inhibition

Impairment in Theory of Mind in Parkinson’s Disease Is Explained by Deficits in Inhibition

The contributions of executive functions to mathematical learning difficulties and mathematical talent during adolescence

Cognitive processes predicting advanced theory of mind in the broader autism phenotype

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