Is implicit Theory of Mind a robust cognitive phenomenon? Large-scale, multi-lab replication and validation studies with children and adults

内隐心理理论是一种强有力的认知现象吗？

• 批准号: 434233896
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Johannes Rakoczy
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung für Kognitive Entwicklungspsychologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/434233896?language=en
• 关键词: implicit; Theory; Mind; robust; cognitive

Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states such as beliefs and desires to others and ourselves, is fundamental to human nature. Traditionally, ToM was thought to develop slowly over the preschool years, building on language and executive function. Recently, however, new research with measures such as looking time has revolutionized the field, suggesting that implicit forms of ToM may be present very early and keep on operating automatically and unconsciously throughout the lifespan. Far-reaching theoretical accounts have been developed from of these findings. However, the evidence from this research is still relatively sparse, often from studies with small samples. First replication attempts have recently produced very mixed findings, with complex patterns of non-, partial and successful replications. Similarly, critical validation studies (addressing the questions whether these tasks really tap ToM) have produced diverging results.What is needed, and what the current project will realize, are large-scale, pre-registered multi-lab replication and validation studies of implicit ToM. Under the umbrella of “ManyBabies”, a platform for multi-lab replication research in developmental psychology, we have founded an international consortium of scholars, including authors of the original studies and numerous leading ToM researchers from diverging theoretical perspectives. Coordinated and led by us, this consortium will collectively design, plan, pre-register, implement, conduct, analyze and publish systematic replication and validation studies of the central implicit ToM paradigms with young children and adults. Results from this project will provide a solid empirical basis for the field that allows us to judge conclusively whether implicit ToM is a robust phenomenon, and if so, what its nature and cognitive foundations are.

心理理论（Theory of Mind，简称ToM）是一种将信念和欲望等心理状态归因于他人和自己的能力，是人性的基础。传统上，心理理论被认为是在学前阶段缓慢发展的，建立在语言和执行功能的基础上。然而，最近，新的研究与措施，如观看时间已经彻底改变了该领域，这表明，内隐形式的心理理论可能存在很早，并保持自动和无意识地在整个生命周期。从这些发现中发展出了意义深远的理论解释。然而，这项研究的证据仍然相对稀少，通常来自小样本研究。第一次复制尝试最近产生了非常复杂的结果，非，部分和成功的复制模式。类似地，关键验证研究（解决这些任务是否真的利用了ToM的问题）产生了不同的结果，需要的是，当前项目将实现的是，大规模的，预先注册的多实验室复制和验证研究。在“ManyBabies”（一个发展心理学多实验室复制研究平台）的保护下，我们成立了一个国际学者联盟，其中包括原始研究的作者和众多来自不同理论观点的领先ToM研究人员。在我们的协调和领导下，该联盟将共同设计，计划，预注册，实施，实施，分析和发布幼儿和成人中央内隐ToM范式的系统复制和验证研究。该项目的结果将为该领域提供坚实的经验基础，使我们能够最终判断内隐心理理论是否是一种强大的现象，如果是这样，它的性质和认知基础是什么。