Theory of mind: how children understand others' thoughts and feelings. Martin J. Doherty. Psychology Press, Hove, UK, 2008. pp. 264. Price: £17.50. ISBN 978–1–84169–571–6 (paperback)

✍ Scribed by Alex Marks

• Book ID: 102272462
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 37 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1522-7227
• DOI: 10.1002/icd.617

✦ Synopsis

In this book, Martin Doherty presents a comprehensive and detailed account of many areas of theory of mind. With an emphasis on research conducted over the past several decades, the book is broad in scope: it encompasses multiple facets of theory of mind (including children's understanding of belief, desire and knowledge), and addresses both precursors to and developmental interactions with children's ability to 'read' others' minds.

The book consists of 10 chapters, with chapter one serving as both a brief introduction to theory of mind research and a concise outline of the structure of the book. Chapter two introduces the reader to young children's understanding of belief, with an emphasis on the various methodologies used in research. Doherty describes not only research on the ability to predict others' beliefs (the unexpected transfer task), but also research that tests the ability to explain or manipulate others' beliefs. He argues convincingly that children develop these three abilities simultaneously around the age of 4 years, while acknowledging that younger children have some capability in this area.

Chapter three turns to the three main theories of theory of mind: Theory Theory, Simulation Theory and Modularity Theory. Doherty presents evidence for each of these theories, and argues that they are not mutually exclusive: some situations may involve theorizing about others' minds while others may require us to simulate how we would feel, and these abilities may lie in a specialized brain area as suggested by Modularity Theorists.

Chapters four and five address developments that are associated with