2-087 - Dynamics of the link between culture and mental state understanding: Findings from Turkey, Indonesia and New Zealand

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Culture, as a collection of established norms and values, influences many aspects of development, including the mental state insights of children. As an important socio-cognitive ability that relates to social competence and prosocial behaviors, theory of mind (ToM) has been examined through a socio-cultural lens in order to capture the cross-cultural variation in timing and sequence of ToM acquisition as well as the causes of this variation.

Three papers will evaluate the role that culture plays in the development of ToM. The first paper presents data from Turkey, which both geographically and culturally straddles the divide between east and west, and thus, constitutes an interesting locale for understanding the relation between culture, sequence of ToM acquisition, and the demographic factors that shift this acquisition from one cultural pattern to the other. The second paper examines the ToM acquisition patterns of children from the collectivistic culture in Indonesia and questions the idea of a predictable ToM acquisition sequence without considering the micro-cultural factors that give rise to change in ToM sequences within the same culture. The third paper presents an intervention study that helps illuminate the mechanisms through which different cultures encourage different mental state acquisition patterns. It involves manipulation of mothers' use of the same mental state term to refer to either different or similar behaviors as a way to enhance children's ToM performance. These papers will enable a comprehensive understanding of the aspects of a culture and the specific social factors that alter the timing of ToM development.

Sub Unit

• Social Cognition

Chair

• Ted Ruffman, University of Otago

Discussant

• Angeline S Lillard, University of Virginia

Individual Presentations

• Sequence of theory-of-mind acquisition in Turkish children from diverse social backgrounds - Presenting Author: Muge Ekerim, Koc University; Kimberly A. Brink, University of Michigan; Bilge Selcuk, Koc University; Henry Wellman, University of Michigan

• Culture and the sequence of ToM development - Presenting Author: Virginia Slaughter, University of Queensland; Candida Peterson, University of Queensland; Ike Kuntoro, Universitas Indonesi

• Variety in Input Helps Theory of Mind Acquisition - Presenting Author: Ted Ruffman, University of Otago; Mele Taumoepeau, University of Otago