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Theory of mind

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Introduction; theory of Mind
The theory of mind seeks to establish how children understand people as mental
beings with emotions, beliefs, intentions and desires (Saxe, 2013). The surge of
interest in the phenomenon of the theory of mind and its development began in the
1980s. The general understanding on the theory of mind is that it occurs in everybody
across all cultures. However, recent empirical studies have presented claims that
autistic people lack the theory of mind. These assertion suggests that individuals
suffering from autism do not understand that others have a mind, thus pervading
psychology (Saxe, 2013). This study presents a critical evaluation of whether
individuals with autism have an impaired Theory of Mind. The study aims at
examining empirical studies to establish the deficiency of the theory of mind in
autistic individuals.
When people are born, they do not have an automatic understanding that others
have unique desires and beliefs from theirs (Saxe, 2013). Rather, they undergo through
a series of developmental precursors required for the development of their theory of
mind. These precursors are skills and abilities the enables an individual to
comprehend the concept of intention and understand others’ intentions (Leibovitch,
2013). Before reaching the theory of mind, every individual has to develop the ability
to imitate others. Other developmental skills required to develop the theory of mind
include understanding the consequences and the causes of emotions. An individual
must understand that others have likes and dislikes which are different. Also,
pretending to be someone else is an important precursor in the theory of mind.
Attention and inttentionality

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Studies show that attention is the very first underlying precursor in developing a
fully-fledged theory of mind. One must recognize that seeing is not merely looking, it
involves focusing our attention to a selective direction (on specific people and objects)
(Leibovitch, 2013). another key component in developing the theory of mind is the
intentionality. This refers to the understanding that others’ actions arise form unique
beliefs and desires and are goal-directed. Young children of 2 years and below has an
understanding of intentionality. According to Leibovitch (2013), “to understand that
people act in a way that is motivated by their desires (for example, I am hungry so I
will reach for that apple) is to understand that other people have their own desires
(she must be hungry).” This demonstrates the attributing mental states of others and
the theory of mind.
Imitation
Imitation is the third building block on the theory of mind. Before imitating
others, one must be convinced that others have unique desires and beliefs. Imitation
can be demonstrated when a toddler realizes that others are focusing (direct their
attention) to a given object and is motivated by goal-directed behavior to focus
intentionally (Leibovitch, 2013). In this way, the toddler engages imitation and
automatically directs his eyes toward that object.
The theory of mind has been associated with children. At the age of 4-5, children
begin to think of others’ feelings and thoughts, this is when the theory of mind begins
(Saxe, 2013).Studies have shows that there are cultural differences in the development
of the theory of mind. Although the process seem universal across demographic
groups, recent studies show that there is a difference in emphasis by various cultures.
Deficits of the theory of mind in Autism

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Introduction; theory of Mind The theory of mind seeks to establish how children understand people as mental beings with emotions, beliefs, intentions and desires (Saxe, 2013). The surge of interest in the phenomenon of the theory of mind and its development began in the 1980s. The general understanding on the theory of mind is that it occurs in everybody across all cultures. However, recent empirical studies have presented claims that autistic people lack the theory of mind. These assertion suggests that individuals suffering from autism do not understand that others have a mind, thus pervading psychology (Saxe, 2013). This study presents a critical evaluation of whether individuals with autism have an impaired Theory of Mind. The study aims at examining empirical studies to establish the deficiency of the theory of mind in autistic individuals. When people are born, they do not have an automatic understanding that others have unique desires and beliefs from theirs (Saxe, 2013). Rather, they undergo through a series of developmental precursors required for the development of their theory of mind. These precursors are skills and abilities the enables an individual to comprehend the concept of intention and understand others’ intentions (Leibovitch, 2013). Before reaching the theory of mind, every individual has to develop the ability to imitate others. Other developmental skills required to develop the theory of mind include understanding the consequences and the causes of ...
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