Poster #195 - Theory of Mind Goes to School - a Relationship between ToM, Sensitivity to Criticism and School Achievement

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Social Cognition

Integrative Statement

The main aim of the study is to determine some consequences of theory of mind (ToM) development among typically children in middle childhood. The other studies conducted on ToM consequences concerned different topics, among others prosocial behavior (Caputi et al., 2012; Kuhnert et al., 2017), and positive self-perception (Bosacki, 2000, 2015).
In our longitudinal study, however, we observe, what impact ToM has on the socio-cognitive functioning of the children. In two longitudinal studies (Lecce et al., 2011; Lecce et al., 2014) Lecce et al. observed an impact of theory of mind on children’s school achievement. In both studies, the relationship between ToM and school achievement of children was rather strong. It was stated that this relationship is mediated by the child’s sensitivity to criticism. However, the mediation was only partial. This result encourages the search for other mediators of the relationship between ToM and school achievement, especially because ToM concerns first of all social understanding and social cognition, and not cognitive abilities in a narrow sense. Analysis on the relationship between ToM development and sensitivity to criticism was continued by Mizokawa (2014). He stated that children, who have a more developed ToM, more negatively assess their own abilities, and, at the same time, they are more motivated for further development. That is why we decided to test a more complex model of mediation in the relation between ToM, sensitivity to criticism, and school achievement. We assume that a positive relationship between sensitivity to criticism and achievement can be mediated by the child’s positive, academic self-concept and by the child’s greater engagement in learning.
Participants
One hundred and twenty Polish children take part in a longitudinal study (N = 65 girls). First measurement of theory of mind was taken when children were M = 7.47 (SD = 0.66). Last, fourth measurement was taken thirty months after the first measurement.
Measures
Theory of mind – measured with 10 stories from the Faux Pas Recognition Test (5 stories with and 5 stories without faux pas, α = 0.75 and α = 0.67, respectively).
Sensitivity to criticism – four stories based on a tool prepared by Heyman et al. (1992), and supplemented by Mizokawa (2014). In our analysis we have used a result showing a mean level of child’s motivation for improvement after being criticized.
Academic Self-Concept (ASC) – Academic Self-Description Questionnaire I (Marsh, 1992) assesses self-concept in young children math and language abilities (α = 0.93).
Educational engagement – assessed by children’s teachers with twenty-one statements about children’s engagement in learning (α = 0.90).
School achievement in Polish language – twenty-two tasks from the test prepared by Szumski (2010) are the core of the test (α = 0.60).
Results
The model has shown good fit to the data: RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.95 (Fig 1).
Conclusion
ToM longitudinally predicts sensitivity to criticism and language achievement. Additionally, a relationship between sensitivity to criticism and language achievement is mediated by children’s educational engagement and ASC.

Authors

• Joanna Smogorzewska, Department of Education, University of Warsaw
  Presenting Author

• Grzegorz Szumski, Department of Education, University of Warsaw
  Non-Presenting Author