The Role of Language in Early Theory of Mind Development

语言在心理理论发展中的作用是通过纵向研究和训练研究相结合的方式进行的。N=150名儿童在24个月和27个月大的第一阶段接受了测试，而33个月和36个月的测试仍在进行中。在这个样本中，两组N=40名儿童在33到36个月之间接受了14次微遗传学训练，接受了心理语言输入或补语句法输入。在第二阶段，另一个由N=40名儿童组成的主动控制组将接受非特定(解谜)培训。内隐和外显心理理论能力、动作理解、语言(心理状态语言、句法技能、叙述)、执行功能和智商将在52个月龄时作为第二阶段的结果测量。本研究首次考察了心理状态语言和句法技能对3岁以下儿童内隐和外显心理理论发展的影响。由于生命的第三年是内隐心理理论和外显心理理论之间的过渡期，人们期待着对语言在心理理论早期和后期发展中的作用有重要的见解。特别是，这项研究有望有助于更好地理解心理内隐和外显理论与语言在广泛年龄范围内的横向和纵向关系。

The role of language in Theory of Mind development is investigated in a combined longitudinal and training study. N=150 children have been recruited and tested at 24 and 27 months of age in Phase 1, while testing at 33 and 36 months is ongoing. From this sample, two groups of N=40 children each are being trained in 14 microgenetic training sessions between the ages of 33 and 36 months with mental state language input or complement syntax input. In phase 2, an additional active control group of N=40 children will receive an unspecific (puzzle solving) training. Implicit and explicit Theory of Mind abilities, action understanding, language (mental state language, syntactic skills, narratives), executive functions and IQ will be assessed as outcome measures at the age of 52 months during Phase 2. The study is the first to examine the effects of mental state language and syntactic skills on implicit and explicit Theory of Mind development below the age of 3 years. As the third year of life is a transitional period between an implicit and an explicit Theory of Mind, important insights into the functions of language in early and later Theory of Mind development are expected. In particular, the study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the cross- sectional and longitudinal relations between implicit and explicit Theory of Mind and language over a wide age range.