Maternal Mind Mindedness, a Predictor of Theory of Mind

Indianapolis, IN

This study examined the predictive power of maternal mind mindedness on children's theory of mind ability. Mother's mental state talk has been found to relate to theory of mind scores of their children. To measure theory of mind ability, a new measure of theory mind was administered, self-paced slide shows, which look at implicit theory of mind ability. These slide shows, along with a classic theory of mind battery were used to measure theory of mind. Through this theory of mind battery it is possible to investigate the relationship between maternal mind mindedness and theory of mind using a different measure that potential could be more accurate and lead to better understanding of the two factors. This study measured maternal mind mindedness through a phone interview. The interview measured the amount of times a parent mentioned behavioral, mental, and physical qualities of the child. In question was whether mental state qualities mentioned by the mother will relate to implicit and explicit theory of mind ability of their children. I will discuss the relationship and importance of theory of mind and maternal mind mindedness.