Constructing a Narrative in the Standard Unexpected Transfer Test in Adolescence and Adulthood

• Authors: Marta Białecka-Pikul , Marta Rynda , Daria Syrecka
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The aim of the presented research was the replication and extension of the research by Nelson, Plesa and Henseler (1998), which was the basis for examining the nature of the theory of mind or mentalizing ability (that is, the ability to attribute mental states to other people in order to explain and predict their behaviors) in adolescents and adults. Specifically, its experience-like versus theory-like character. The test, an unexpected transfer task (the Max story), was completed by 827 people aged 13 to 75 (average 21.9). Half of them were supposed to solve the task with a shorter version of the story (including only the facts), and the other half were given the longer version (including descriptions of emotions, beliefs of the protagonist and explanations of ongoing events). All of the answers were then categorized applying Nelson's classification and two other types of analysis. Gender, age and fields of interest were taken into account during analysis of the participants' answers. The Polish respondents rarely answered in a narrative way (only 13%, in contrast to Nelson's result of 46%). Despite the fact that age was not a factor corresponding to a narrative answer, it was proven that older respondents did indeed assume the first person perspective when justifying Max's behavior. Women, more often than men, appealed to the knowledge and the protagonist's way of thinking. The respondents' fields of interest did not seem to diversify the obtained results, nor did the version of the story. The results do not allow us to draw unambiguous conclusions about the nature of the adult's theory of mind, but they form the basis for analyzing the methodology of research on theory of mind.

Keywords

EN

theory of mind; narrative; unexpected transfer test

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Psychology of Language and Communication
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 29-43

Dates

published

2010-01-01

online

2010-06-07

Contributors

author

Marta Białecka-Pikul

• Jagiellonian University

author

Marta Rynda

• Jagiellonian University

author

Daria Syrecka

• Jagiellonian University

References

• Apperly, I. A., Samson, D., Chiavarino, C., & Humpreys, G. W. (2004). Frontal and temporo-parietal lobe contributions to theory of mind: Neuropsychological evidence from a false-belief task with reduced language and executive demands. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 1773-1784.[PubMed][Crossref]
• Astington, J. W. & Olson, D. R. (1995). The cognitive revolution in children's under-standing of mind. Human Development, 38, 179-189.[Crossref]
• Astington, J. W. (1998). Theory of mind, Humpty Dumpty and the icebox. Human Development, 41, 30-39.[Crossref]
• Białecka-Pikul, M. (2002). Co dzieci wiedzą o umyśle i myśleniu (What do children know about mind and thinking). Kraków: WUJ.
• Białecka-Pikul, M. (2005). Relatywizm myślenia młodzieży i młodych dorosłych jako przejaw rozwoju dojrzałej teorii umysłu (Relativism of adolescents' and adults' thinking as an expression of the mature theory of mind). Psychologia rozwojowa, 10, 51-68.
• Bruner, J. (2006). Kultura edukacji. Kraków: Universitas (orig. ed. The culture of education. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1996).
• Carpendale, J. & Lewis, C. (2006). How children develop social understanding. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54, 165-181.[Crossref]
• Doherty, M. (2009). Theory of mind. Hove: Psychology Press.
• Feldman, C. F., Bruner, J., Renderer, B. & Spitzer, S. (1990). Narrative comprehension. In B. K. Britton & A. D. Pellegrini (Eds.), Narrative thought and narrative language (pp. 1-78). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.
• Gopnik, A. & Wellman, H. M. (1994). The theory theory. In L. A. Hirschfeld & S. A. Gelman (Eds.), Maping the mind (pp. 257-293). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Hall, W. S., Scholnick, E. K., & Hughes, A. T. (1987). Contextual constrains on usage of cognitive words. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 16, 289-310.[Crossref]
• Happe, F. G. E, Winner, E. & Brownell, H. (1998). The getting of wisdom: Theory of mind in old age. Developmental Psychology, 34, 358-362.[PubMed][Crossref]
• Harris, P. L. (1994). Thinking by children and scientists: False analogies and neglected similarities. In L. A. Hirschfeld & S. A. Gelman (Eds.), Maping the mind (pp. 257-293). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Kimura, D. (2006). Płeć i poznanie. Warszawa: PIW (orig. ed. Sex and cognition. Boston: MIT Press, 1999).
• Leslie, A. (1994). Pretending and believing. Issue in the theory of ToMM. Cognition, 50, 211-238.[Crossref]
• Lillard, A. (1998). Theories behind theories of mind.Human Development, 41, 40-46.[Crossref]
• Maylor, E. A., Moulson, J. M., Muncer, A. M., & Taylor, L. A. (2002). Does the performance on theory of mind tasks decline in old age? British Journal of Psychology, 93, 465-485.[Crossref]
• Nelson, K. (1996). Language in cognitive development: The emergence of the mediated mind. New York: Cambrige University Press.
• Nelson, K., Plesa, D., & Henseler, S. (1998). Children's theory of mind: An experiential intepretation. Human Development, 41, 7-29.[Crossref]
• Phillips, L. H., MacLean, R. D., & Allen, R. (2002). Age and the understanding of emotions: Neuropsychological and sociocognitive approaches. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57, 526-530.[Crossref]
• Robinson, E. J. & Apperly, I. A. (2001). Adolescents and adults views about the evidential basis for beliefs: Relativism and determinism re-examined. Developmental Science, 1, 279-290.
• Saltzman, J., Strauss, E., Hunter, M., & Archibald, S. (2000). Theory of mind and executive functions i normal human aging and Parkinson's disease. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 6, 781-788.[Crossref]
• Sullivan, S. & Ruffman, T. (2004). Social understanding: How does it fare with advancing years? British Journal of Psychology, 95, 1-18.[Crossref]
• Wimmer, H. & Perner, D. (1983). Beliefs about beliefs. Cognition, 13, 103-128.[PubMed][Crossref]

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10057-010-0002-9