Poster #201 - Theory of Mind, False Belief Concepts, and Mental State Language in Young Children’s Picture Story Books

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Social Cognition

Integrative Statement

There has been extensive experimental research on children’s developing Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities over the past 25 years, mostly using false belief (FB) tasks. But there has been considerably less research on TOM embedded in everyday contexts. One everyday context where young children encounter a rich variety of ToM-relevant concepts, including actions based on false beliefs, is in picture storybooks. The limited ToM-related research on storybooks has often used mental state language (MSL) as an indicator of ToM content (Cassidy et al., 1998; Riggio & Cassidy, 2009; Dyer et al., 2000).

This research addresses two questions. First, what types of FB appear in children’s storybooks, and how are they related to portrayals of ToM understanding (‘mindreading”) by characters? Second, how strong is the association between ToM-relevant content and explicit MSL?

Analyzing 317 children’s books, Cassidy et al. (1998) found that 34% of books included FBs and 78% included at least one instance of MSL. However, the researchers did not measure frequency of MSL, FBs were not always central to the plot, and information about the relationship between FB and MSL was not reported. Dyer et al. (2000) analyzed only MSL frequency in 100 picture storybooks.

We analyzed 80 picture story books selected from a larger set of about 350 books. To be included, FB had to be consequential—permeating and influencing the story plot. Thus, understanding the story required the child (reader or listener) to employ ToM understanding. Isolated or peripheral FBs were not included. We coded books for types of FB depicted and whether characters in the story recognized consequential FB in other characters (i.e., demonstrated ToM). We coded MSL for emotion, volition, cognition, and modality.

We divided FB books into two categories. In the first, FB—Spontaneous (59% of books), characters generated their own FBs based on interactions with and misperceptions of the world and objects in it. For example, two animals misperceived a ball for an egg and waited for the egg to hatch. In the second category, FB—Deception (41%), characters attempted to create or encourage a FB in another character through deception (e.g. Little Red Riding Hood).

Each category included multiple types.

FB—Spontaneous:
Type 0: Only the reader/listener had FB (1 book).
Type 1: Character(s) had FB and never attained correct awareness (18 books).
Type 2: Character(s) had FB and attained correct awareness (20 books).
Type 3: Character(s) had FB and attained correct awareness; also, character(s) recognized FB in others (mindreading) (3 books).

FB—Deception (all types here involve mindreading by characters):
Type 0: No FB despite character’s attempt to deceive (1 book).
Type 1: Character deceived other character(s) (22 books).
Level 2: Two characters engaged in sequential, reciprocal deception (10 books).
Level 3: Three characters engaged in deception (2 books).

Results indicated no clear relationship between FB/ToM portrayal and MSL frequency. The potential value and effectiveness of different types of FB/ToM storybook content for promoting children’s ToM abilities, as well as implications for research and for designing practical interventions, will be discussed.

Authors

• Ageliki Nicolopoulou, Lehigh University
  Presenting Author

• Marsha Weinraub, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Caitlin Elise Lindley, Lehigh University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gina Maurer, Lehigh University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Eugene Rohrer, Lehigh University
  Non-Presenting Author