Perspectives on the Child's Theory of Mind

We all have minds of our own. The fact that we all experience our own thoughts, ideas, and imaginings, and that other people can know about them only if we choose to tell them, is taken for granted by most of us. But young children, whose understanding of everyday mental states is quite different, do not necessarily jump to the same conclusion. This volume reports the latest research and theory on this classic and important topic -- vitally important, since all social behavior depends on an awareness of others. How and when an accurate knowledge of other minds arises is the central question of this volume. This authoritative work explores the theory of mind in a wide-ranging collection, featuring discussions of imagination, false beliefs, mind and emotion, and autism. The Child's Theory of Mind is also published as two issues of the British Journal of Developmental Psychology. Researchers and teachers in psychology and child psychology will find this a stimulating and informative book, which suggests several important potential applications.