Psychology

The Effects of Scaffolding on Children’s Dwell Time in an Implicit False Belief Locations Task

Presenter Information

Connor O'Rear, Wabash College

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Location

Indianapolis, IN

Subject Area

Psychology

Start Date

11-4-2014 10:15 AM

End Date

11-4-2014 12:00 PM

Description

Children's development of a theory of mind, or the ability to know that one's knowledge and beliefs differ from another person's, plays an important role in their ability to interact with others. The present study sought to encourage the development of a representational theory of mind over a five-week microgenetic study through the use of scaffolding. Twice each week children were shown slideshows depicting the classic false belief locations task while the experimenter narrated the mental states of the actors within the scene. The children were then tested on a slideshow depicting the false belief locations task in a novel context, serving as a measure of online processing for an event in which others' mental states play a clear role in how they act. The pace of the slideshow was controlled by the child, allowing for an analysis of the amount of time spent attending to each slide, or dwell time. At the end of each session children also completed a battery of classic theory of mind tasks. Children's dwell time patterns and performance on the classic theory of mind tasks were analyzed across each session, as children developed a representational theory of mind. The effects of scaffolding on children's online processing and conceptual development as they develop a representational theory of mind are discussed.

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Apr 11th, 10:15 AM Apr 11th, 12:00 PM

The Effects of Scaffolding on Children’s Dwell Time in an Implicit False Belief Locations Task

Indianapolis, IN

Children's development of a theory of mind, or the ability to know that one's knowledge and beliefs differ from another person's, plays an important role in their ability to interact with others. The present study sought to encourage the development of a representational theory of mind over a five-week microgenetic study through the use of scaffolding. Twice each week children were shown slideshows depicting the classic false belief locations task while the experimenter narrated the mental states of the actors within the scene. The children were then tested on a slideshow depicting the false belief locations task in a novel context, serving as a measure of online processing for an event in which others' mental states play a clear role in how they act. The pace of the slideshow was controlled by the child, allowing for an analysis of the amount of time spent attending to each slide, or dwell time. At the end of each session children also completed a battery of classic theory of mind tasks. Children's dwell time patterns and performance on the classic theory of mind tasks were analyzed across each session, as children developed a representational theory of mind. The effects of scaffolding on children's online processing and conceptual development as they develop a representational theory of mind are discussed.